Erich Wolfgang Korngold; Miklós Rózsa; Franz Waxman - Violin Concertos (Jascha Heifetz)

Information

Composer: Erich Wolfgang Korngold; Miklós Rózsa; Franz Waxman

• (01-03) Korngold - Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35
• (04-06) Rózsa - Violin Concerto, Op. 24
• (07-14) Rózsa - Sinfonia Concertante, Op. 29a
• (15) Waxman - Carmen Fantasie (Based on Themes from an Opera by Georges Bizet)

Jascha Heifetz, violin
Gregor Piatigorsky, cello (7-14)

Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Alfred Wallenstein, conductor (1-3)
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Walter Hendl, conductor (4-6)
RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra
Donald Voorhees, conductor (15)

Dates: 1946 (15), 1953 (1-3), 1956 (4-6), 1963 (7-14)
Label: RCA

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Review

This is a record to have one even more open-mouthed than usual at the pure wizardry of Heifetz. All four works were written specially for him by Hollywood film composers, all of them emigres from Europe. Where Korngold, the boy-wonder composer who never fulfilled the dazzling promise of his youth, used material for this Violin Concerto which he had already written for films—Another Dawn, Juarez, Anthony Adverse and The Prince and the Pauper—it was the other way about with Rozsa and Waxman. Rozsa, in response to Heifetz's commission, wrote his concerto at high speed, then worked with Heifetz on the details for 18 months, then finally used it in a subsequent film, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. Waxman, after writing his Carmen Fantasy, also used it in the film, Humoresque. The Rozsa Tema con variazioni is the middle-movement of a Sinfonia concertante for violin, cello and orchestra, that he wrote for Piatigorsky—the other soloist here—as well as Heifetz.

None of this is great music, but in the hands of the magician who prompted it, it has many delights. If the Korngold brings the most striking ideas, the pieces Rozsa pieces with their gentle Hungarian flavour (much closer to Kodaly than to Bartok) are charming too, while the Waxman is a splendid firework display. That Waxman piece was recorded as early as 1946, long before the rest, with rather scrubby sound and an uneven surface even in the digital transfer. The Korngold followed in 1953, the Rozsa Concerto in 1956 and the Variations in 1963. Though the booklet keeps quiet about it, only the two Rozsa items appear to be in stereo. Few will worry about such points when the playing is so astonishing, and whatever the recording quality the solo instrument stands out vividly. The slight hum detectable in quiet passages is not so distracting as in some other Heifetz vintage transfers. There is a highly informative note by Richard Freed.

-- Edward Greenfield, Gramophone

More reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/Heifetz-Collection-Vol-21-Korngold/dp/B000003FIW

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Erich Wolfgang Korngold (May 29, 1897 – November 29, 1957) was an Austrian-born composer and conductor. He was a noted pianist and composer of classical music, along with music for Hollywood films, and the first composer of international stature to write Hollywood scores. Along with such composers as Max Steiner and Alfred Newman, he is considered one of the founders of film music. Overall, he wrote the score for 16 Hollywood films, receiving two Oscars. Korngold's serious music, with his late romantic style, has recently undergone a re-evaluation and a gradual reawakening of interest.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Wolfgang_Korngold

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Miklós Rózsa (18 April 1907 in Budapest – 27 July 1995 in Los Angeles) was a Hungarian-American composer. Best known for his nearly one hundred film scores, he nevertheless maintained a steadfast allegiance to absolute concert music throughout what he called his "double life". His notable Hollywood career earned him considerable fame, including Academy Awards for Spellbound (1945), A Double Life (1947), and Ben-Hur (1959), while his concert works were championed by major artists such as Jascha Heifetz, Gregor Piatigorsky, and János Starker. Rózsa also received recognition for his choral works.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikl%C3%B3s_R%C3%B3zsa

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Jascha Heifetz (February 2 [O.S. January 20] 1901 – December 10, 1987) was a violinist, widely considered to be one of the finest violinists of modern times. Born in Vilnius, Russian Empire (now Lithuania), he moved as a teenager to the United States, where he had a long and successful performing and recording career. His near-perfect technique is regarded by many critics as unequaled and caused some critics to accuse him of being overly mechanical, even cold. Heifetz owned the 1714 Dolphin Stradivarius, the 1731 "Piel" Stradivarius, the 1736 Carlo Tononi, and the 1742 ex David Guarneri del Gesù.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jascha_Heifetz

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