Monday YouTube Fix: Jascha Heifetz
Andrew Hitz
I'll never forget the first time I heard Heifetz play the violin. It was the summer of 1998 and I was in Breckenridge playing with the National Repertory Orchestra. My friend John Grillo was in the bass section and he had a passion for sharing great music with others. He asked me if I had ever heard Heifetz's recording of Bach's Sonatas and Partitas. When I told him no his face lit up and he proceeded to put it on at a very loud volume. My mind was blown by the precision and insistence of interpretation that I was hearing. Heifetz has been a favorite of mine ever since. I just stumbled upon this clip of Heifetz in his late 60s playing the Chaconne from the Bach Partita No. 2 in D Minor. Even late in life, his playing is simply impeccable. He is able to get so much tone out of each sixteenth note.
Enjoy!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q-Zqz7mNjQ]