Jascha Heifetz plays Rózsa Violin Concerto, Op. 24 (1/4)

[GGbreizh]

Great concerto, but I still prefer John Williams Violin Concerto 1.

Thanks for posting this.

[pbaron23]

My orchestra ( Zuglói Fiharmonic orchestra from Hungary ) are alsaw playing this concerto. It is not esye to play it, but it is great music.

[12rosebud12]

Sincere question: WHAT is this supposed to be?

[Sinfoniette]

Another sincere question here: what do you mean?

[12rosebud12]

Is this supposed to be music? Come on, we're used to really beautiful, heavenly sound from Miklos, i.e. Ben Hur, and then this pseudo something? Why do these geniuses have to play wise guys and compose artificial dissonant stuff which ain't even pleasant to the ear. Well, am I the only one to moan here?

[quornholio]

This is not heavenly? Listen to the place the slow movement has in Billy Wilder's "The Private Lives of Sherlock Holmes," set to Genevieve Page's lovely and nubile naked body, and tell me this concerto is anything short of heavenly.

[12rosebud12]

@quornholio Following your suggestion I indeed listened to the soundtrack of movie you mentionned. Would you accept my lay but nonetheless entrenched opinion that Miklos Rosza body of work simply built up towards & culminated in Ben Hur, not to be topped nor even equalled by anything he wrote before nor after? Similarly to Microsoft's shareprice in Y2K topping at 560bn market cap and descending thereafter so to speak. Long life, young QUORNHOLIO, and wisdom to live it!

[quornholio]

@12rosebud12 Well, I'm a layman too, and as much as I love Ben Hur soundtrack, to me, his greatest music was the score to "Double Indemnity." To each his own.

[12rosebud12]

@quornholio @quornholio Happy we were able to work it out without bloodshed. P.S. check out the music of Eddy Duchin, Carmen Cavallaro and one great contemporary fellow named Jon England, 3w dot jonengland dot c o m. Easy listening, no drama, and makes one feel soooo good. Loooooooong life, Young Quornholio and wisdom to live it. (Same to me I guess)

[gaspode18]

@12rosebud12 Yep.

[DevilsInstrument]

@12rosebud12 A piece of music...and a very good one, at that.

[jsd4544]

@12rosebud12 In the immortal words of Satchmo: If you have to ask, you ain't never gonna get to know.

[ipmoic]

Please post the Korngold with Heifetz and Wallenstein Sinfoniette.

Pretty Please!!

[Sinfoniette]

My comp broke down with the Heifetz set so you would have to wait for a bit..a week if short. Sorry. :(

[Sinfoniette]

Alfred Wallenstein for Korngold.

If there is Heifetz practicing Korngold with Korngold, it must have amazing historic value and should be stunning... could you please post it?

[rguion8]

Indeed, there is a well known picture of Heifetz and Korngold, but it doesn't seem to be related to any actual recording they did together. Very easy to have one's memory mislead.

[billyguns2]

I have RCA Gold Seal 7963-2-RG; the picture on the cover is Mr. Heifetz smiling ( !!! The man never smiled much!), seated in front of an ornate music stand. The album contains the Korngold Violin Concerto, L.A. Phil. conducted by Alfred Wallenstein on Jan. 10, 1953; the Rozsa Concerto and Tema con variazioni, and the Waxman "Carmen" Fantasy.

[billyguns2]

Korngold never recorded his Violin Concerto with Heifetz for RCA; the conductor is Alfred Wallenstein. I am positive about this because I have the CD next to me as I write this.

[Sinfoniette]

Hehe, maybe I should post my long-due-promise of posting Korngold and Wallenstein. Anyone interested?

[billyguns2]

Sinfoniette, you know I am interested! The

Heifetz/Wallenstein Korngold Violin Concerto is one of the greatest things ever captured by a microphone.

[Sinfoniette]

I believe Heifetz did not record Korngold with Korngold, or not for RCA because I have the complete RCA recordings and its not in there. However, a recording of the Walton with Walton exists, which I have posted.

[billyguns2]

Would you do me a favor and upload Heifetz' magnificent studio recording of Korngold's Violin Concerto, conducted by Alfred Wallenstein? There is a live performance on YouTube conducted by Kurtz, but the recorded sound there is compromised.

[Sinfoniette]

Will upload the Korngold/Heifetz/Wallenstein soon. Its a great concerto and really, we can say that Heifetz was the one to champion it.

And back to the Rozsa: it was FOR Heifetz, just like the Korngold! I'll need to revisit Ben-Hur. A great movie.

[billyguns2]

Just fabulous; nobody could play this type of music as Heifetz did, with magnificent passion, forward motion, and dead-on intonation. We don't hear this piece enough! Is it because it sounds like BEN-HUR?

[Sshelly34213]

um I think its from The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, although he did write the score for Ben Hur.

This is a private composition of his, he didn't write it for any film.

[billyguns2]

To be more concise: is the reason we don't hear this piece enough because it sounds like film music? Sometimes I am not specific enough in my statements. So, music from this concerto was used for The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes? Cool!

[Sshelly34213]

Oh well yea I suppose that's the reason, I just think that people aren't really familiar with Miklos Rozsa's work that wasn't used in films. Hell most people aren't familiar with any of his work...

Yes the entire film contains this theme, its quite a nice film too. You should check it out, its on youtube.