Paragon of Violinists

‘In his prime, which must have lasted almost sixty years,’ wrote a music critic, ‘Heifetz was the paragon of violinists. A white-hot temperament burned just beneath an icy control. What it was at all possible to do on or with the violin, Jascha Heifetz could do, and do without being vulgar.’

Heifetz began as a child prodigy and, from the age of eight, toured on the international circuit. Russian-born, he made his home in the United States after the Russian Revolution. His playing was marked by clarity and control and he never resorted to theatrics or an over-emotional style. Whilst acclaimed as a virtuoso solo violinist, Heifetz gained great pleasure from playing chamber music with his equally talented friends, cellist Gregor Piatorgorsky and violist William Primrose.

Heifetz commissioned concertos from several composers including Castelnuovo-Tedesco and on Tuesday 13th at 2pm in Past Masters you’ll hear the concerto composed for him by William Walton along with works of Tchaikovsky and Beethoven.