Heifetz's Bach

[Altgeiger]

Someplace deep in the archives of this site, about twenty-five years old, is a post from youthful me, expressing his distaste for Heifetz's recordings of the Bach sonatas and partitas. It's been almost that long since I listened to those recordings — and in the intervening years I've either learned something or forgotten something, because now I love them. It's amazing how a person's taste can change, though we like to create a consistent personal narrative in our memories.

[Pluto Vermin]

Otto Buchner from Karl Richter's orchestra was another great Bach soloist from before HIP.  Some others come to mind but it was Buchner's specialty

[Altgeiger]

Listened to him performing the d-minor partita. The chord at the end of the first section hit me like a brick. I did not realize he was using a Vega bow! He makes a much better case for it than Emil Telmanyi or Rolf Schröder ever did — fine performances, and worth hearing. 

[Pluto Vermin]

^Here he's the soloist in the 4th Brandenburg, basically a violin concerto.  Also, Richter was a super harpsichordist.

https://youtu.be/hp53Jh6qO6Q?t=2706

 

[Altgeiger]

I didn't have much listening time today, but from what I heard, I'll come back to it.  Solid performance.  Hans-Martin Linde was no slouch either.

[Just Sayin’]

Heifetz was a virtuoso no doubt. However IMHO his recordings of Baroque music have been far eclipsed by contemporary Baroque specialists. 

The titles of most of those movements are dance forms. Heifetz never makes those pieces dance at all. On the contrary, to me they sound muscular and heavy. Hyper-romantic. As if it took great effort to interpret great music. A wrist vibrato of one speed. Performed with a hint of a frown perhaps in an attempt to convey the seriousness of it all. I’m not offering a criticism, simply an observation of what players did back then. Prokofiev or Bach, it was all just music.

But when I hear, for example, contemporaries such as Rachel Podger interpret those works, I wanna start dancing…in a gracefully Baroque style of course. Her performances leave me with the impression there’s a hint of a smile which reflects how what seems a minimum of effort can bring a maximum of fulfillment. That is certainly my preference. YMMV.

 

[Pluto Vermin]

^I've always found it interesting that the farther back in time we go with performers, the less they sound like performers used to sound, supposedly!  I think musicianship is more of a timeless thing.

[GeorgeH]

Heifetz was great in his day, but he did not have the modern equipment and environment that today’s players have, like synthetic strings that stay in tune and humidity-controlled concert halls. Plus, just as athletic performances keep breaking records, the athletic skills and training exhibited by modern virtuoso players keep improving and are much higher now than they were in Heifetz’s day.

So, just as we can still revere Roger Bannister as the first runner to break the four-minute mile, we also know that modern elite runners are much faster. The current record of 3:42.66 was just set by Josh Kerr on July 18, 2026.

Similarly, we can acknowledge Heifetz as one of the greatest violinists of his time while also recognizing that modern virtuoso soloists are playing at a much higher level because athleticism, training, equipment, and climate control have all improved significantly since his day.

[Altgeiger]

13 minutes ago, GeorgeH said:

athleticism, training, equipment, and climate control

Yes, that's exactly what I listen for in a performance of Bach's solo violin works.

[Pluto Vermin]

None of the climate controllers would ever claim to be Heifetz's equal though.  Is that just to be humble and lovable?

 

"No, Josh Kerr did not eat Wheaties for breakfast—in fact, his strict performance diet completely bans processed cereals."

[Violadamore]

This isn't Bach, but I came across it while researching Heifetz's instructional techniques, and felt it should be shared in this discussion.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nJV0ebnZkc

 

[Arbos]

6 hours ago, GeorgeH said:

Heifetz was great in his day, but he did not have the modern equipment and environment that today’s players have, like synthetic strings that stay in tune and humidity-controlled concert halls. Plus, just as athletic performances keep breaking records, the athletic skills and training exhibited by modern virtuoso players keep improving and are much higher now than they were in Heifetz’s day.

So, just as we can still revere Roger Bannister as the first runner to break the four-minute mile, we also know that modern elite runners are much faster. The current record of 3:42.66 was just set by Josh Kerr on July 18, 2026.

Similarly, we can acknowledge Heifetz as one of the greatest violinists of his time while also recognizing that modern virtuoso soloists are playing at a much higher level because athleticism, training, equipment, and climate control have all improved significantly since his day.

George, I don’t think there is a single violinist alive who approaches Heifetz technically. His toolbox is simply too vast compared to ours. Technique is not just not missing notes and having a huge sound 100% of the time, which is what we train for nowadays.

I could say the same about Gitlis, Oistrach, Milstein…they were technically much better than Kavakos, Hahn, etc.

[GeorgeH]

2 hours ago, Arbos said:

George, I don’t think there is a single violinist alive who approaches Heifetz technically

Have you heard Roman Kim?

https://www.thestrad.com/video/the-violin-technique-that-shouldnt-exist-minutephysics-explains-roman-kims-harmonics-technique/20808.article