Jascha Heifetz plays La Fille Aux Cheveux De Lin

[Expedio213]

How could you down vote this lol it makes no sense

[srinitaaigaura]

Brilliant use of the mute for that added delicate touch!

[TheMrShuck]

my friend asked me to play canon in d for her and i said no ill play you this.

[anonymousLucasTanner]

9 people should die.

[EarnThisRyan]

@anonymousLucasTanner Don't sully this music with your hate

[ForCarolToEnjoy]

When I was a little girl, I went to Severance Hall and heard him play this

[ShadowedStep33]

sounds like the mario theme song...

[Asasellobulgakov]

@ShadowedStep33

Iam so sorry for your retared hearing and your messed up ears

[aliberi20]

if you look hard at 1:35 you can see what seems to be Heifetz's cellphone lighting up from inside his coat pocket... take a closer look... if this is as it very much seems, then i firmly believe him to be, if not an extraterrestrial conferring masterful knowledge of the arts and technology to the human races, then the representative of a bionic race of men likely from another dimension.

[ShadowedStep33]

@aliberi20

it does it looks exactly like that!!!

[Rexicano]

What a horrible cheesy interpretation; all those awful mini glissandos and slurring where it should not. It's just a simple piece and he's trying to showboat it here.

A basic lack of feeling for how different French music is from other music. I'd really hate to see him on a Satie piece. He just stomps through it like he's just wiped his feet on a doormat and yelling "I'm HERE! Am I I great, or what???"

[2020TRAP]

@Rexicano ummm, ur gay?

[Rexicano]

@2020TRAP

About 90 percent of all people think you're an idiot, the rest are undecided but leaning that way.

[NoneShaltPass]

@sweetPicker he is talking about the the violinist playing this piece

[CarlthePianowoman]

Actually, I know this woman. Is good woman!

[wodanowitz]

This is beyond all imagination..... Heifetz, is the god of all violin players ever.

He is incredible good, no one will ever be as good as he was.

My greatest respect for this fantastic violin player.

[SweeetPicker]

@wodanowitz Sure, but this song was written by debussy : )

[poseuresque]

this reminds me of seidel's playing. beautiful touch. heifetz was a tornado on the violin but not without remarkable grace.

[bopkick5]

Have you heard his only violin sonata?

[vuth94]

reminds me of simpler times...

[bowserhunter1]

im playing this right now and personally i think that Debussy didn't like violinists and children

[goldie0800]

@bowserhunter1 - Well, I respectfully disagree. Debussy was a loving father, see Wikipedia: "Debussy wrote his famous Children's Corner Suite (1908) for his beloved daughter, Claude-Emma, whom he nicknamed Chouchou."

[conamirt]

i ever think of the beauty of this flaxen hair girl

[MissPaulushka]

bello

[sarahkleen]

so beautiful  :.... )

[Kaufa2]

debussy the best!

[cartoonangel1]

The master of high quality

[Flaminggential]

anyone no the meaning or story behind this piece ? 

[davetowers1]

@Flaminggential I think it's down to the imagination of each individual. The title has been explained by the poster. I've got an 8 year old girl running & sometimes skipping through woods without a care in the world. No troubles

[dududevynidu]

Wow. Every single move is measured

[goalsformary]

@alohalunalei it was his daughter. Girl with the flaxed hair was his daughter. :)

[DualThunder]

@goalsformary is there anywhere you can verify this?

[0222Jennifer]

bravo!!

[welshysheep]

this sounds so different to the version i am familiar with!? really really beautifull!

[lookatmenow14]

beyond pretty

[dilibau]

@lookatmenow14 that would be an understatement

[zedster911]

so i guess this was the inspiration for Tomitas version.....

[francescaemc2]

Che meraviglia!!!!

[ipmoic]

I always preferred Emauel Bay (Heifetz' pianist) to Brooks Smith, who joined him later. Baller anticipated EVERY Heifetz move magically and made recital pieces such as these so very special.

This is great Heifetz and a magical interpretation.

[GeorgeEnescu]

2:21 You can't hear the bow change at all! What an amazing artist!

[sarahxboxbeara]

hmmmm beautiful. i also love the fact that it's crackling and hissing in the sound and that the sound quality isn't good, i LOVE that old feel to old recordings, because then you know if the music is truly played well and beautifully, if it shines through everything else :)

[komoelorto]

Siempre aparece algún hijo de mil putas que se permite criticar al emperador del violín, el muy a menudo imitado, jamás igualado Maestro Jasha Heifetz.

Que lástima que haya tantos mediocres imbéciles en este mundo.

Toni

[Kurtteevee]

@onxtcz

no, its Vivaldi is it not?

[NorwegianViolinist]

Touching! And look how "cold" he is when he plays :D ;p Who came up with that bullsh!t in the first place....? Hahaha, no one plays as delicate and passionate as Mr. H!

[jacksongrant15]

That was beautiful to say the least.

[antigonosphilos]

Wonderful !

[wodanowitz]

This guy, Heifetz, was truely GOD playing violin.... R.I.P Jascha :-(

[VulcanZoso]

this brought tears to my eyes lol.

[careygranite]

I can't help myself. Song is not simply something you sing using the human voice as the instrument.

This is not supernatural but if it helps think of it more abstractly. To place it in simple terms the violin / forte piano here are the voices. and what do they sing? this lovely song. nes't pas?

for those of you who love this song. pick up on dvd, Portrait of Jennie

[careygranite]

really? it's not a song? the term song never came up until poop music was invented? au contraire.

methinks you are a victim of seeing the vaulted world from your own little well.

art songs anyone? yes? German? Italian? French? Shubert perhaps?

[Momoarienai4]

I actually agree. The least form of respect would be to call this a piece or a composition, not a song.

[TheSmoothCriminal]

This just made my day :'-D

[egonsky]

It seems to me that a lot of people here are amazed or are saying that its the best piece they ever heard, they cant believe it...etc... well thats because a great master and genius puted his heart and thoughts in this composition. it s a reall piece of art. In that case my dear friends we reffer to it as a Work, a Piece or Composition, not a SONG. Song is for pop. Its just mor respectfull towards this 2.38 min of pure beauty to use the correct namegiving.

[gillyflowersdainty]

(Lied = song, n'est-ce pas.. jaja, ich weiss. Kunstlied ;P)

[OEDBrowser]

@egonsky I aggree with you completely !! I notice that a great number of people use the word 'song' in their description !! however wellmeaning the sentiments are - it shows a slight bit disrespect for the 'piece or composition ' I know they words that have become currency in this modern internet world but tradition would always try and hold true to the old descriptions !!

[proggoth]

@OEDBrowser Although both you and egonsky have a point I would certainly accept "song" as a term of endearment. This piece should expressly be "sung" through the instrument.

[debbye43]

this is perfection.

[alohalunalei]

she must have been some dame

[Burritobeatle]

it was his daughter.

[MusicalEutopia]

I listen to a lot of music A LOT; music of every genre. But this is the only song that can affect my emotions drastically, it is the only song that gives me the chills.

[dhaganda10]

wow....

[shintee]

I can't believe this. I hear this song all the time but I never knew that THIS is the Girl with the Flaxen Hair.

I agree, the mute idea is really kinda sweet. gives it a peculiar and quaint quality.

[rprins8756]

this is, in my opinion, one of the best songs ever written...

[yasmineyasmineyasmin]

is this heaven or what?

[huughjarse]

This is so beautiful,

it would tear your heart out.

Let those who are better than this, cast the first stone....

[tappytoto]

To 2ndviolinists !. Thank you very mush for your valued comments and advice !!. In fact I have Kreisler's biog by Lochner and it is worth a read !! Great violinists ,great human being with such integrity and humility. If you havent got ythe book , you will find iit in Abebooks, great bargains, I get all my books from Abebooks ( 110 million worldwide, out of print antiquarium etc ) I just included a number of violinists in my comments and I would highly regard your choices !!

[tappytoto]

Heifetz is regarded as one the greatest violinists of the 20th cent !!. An aura has built up around him and I can see why - such beautiful tone  you could say something from outside our world. Axelrod has the best biog of Heifetz and also the definitive book of the history of violinists - Great Masters of ther Violin by Boris Schwarz. Check out Abebooks on-line Great Bargains worldwide 110 million books for sale !!!!!

[tappytoto]

Heifetz has to be regarded as one the greatest and gifted violinists in the last 100 years. I must add that there are a small number of other violinists which are also in that exalted company !! - Menuhin; Rabin', Oistrach etc. Heifetz was so gifted !!. I would suggest to other You tube users that the best book I have read on violinist - is Great Masters of the Violin by Boris Schwarz. Check it out on Abebooks - great bargains !!!

[2ndviolinist]

You are missing some great fiddlers - Kreisler (my favorite), Thibaud, Vasa Prihoda ("the alien", never misses anything), Elman, Enescu, etc. Heifetz is the beginning of the end. He covers the emotional range from A to B, and often looked to excitement over true virtuosity where elegance is always maintained and everything sounds easy. Of course I haven't mentioned even earlier players. Two things to the good for Heifetz-elegant stage presence and he blows away today's pretenders.

[TimbreQrt]

Here Heifetz has a mute placed on the violin, giving it a soft, warm tone. What a pleasant sound! Truly a master.

[greenrate]

This is the right interpretation of this piece -- if you know what effect it is most suited to have.

Heifetz rarely gets it wrong -- although I find his interpretation of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto to be a surprising exception.

[65attila]

IMO - Heifetz is the greatest violinist I have ever heard.

[TheBachands]

beautiful!

[X52SY]

Wonderful, great musician, thank you. Really beautiful piece. I'd like to invite watching Nuccio Trotta's performances. An unknown pianist on youtube worth listening in to. Thanks.

[shuttlecock85]

Has anybody noticed that he tune his violin while playing?

Look at 0:38, he tried to push the d string to make it a little bit higher. That's how perfectionist he is.

[tobiasundry]

wow that's pretty cool

[arkhatych]

He is the Best violinist/Fiddler in the History of music.

[IAMINDESPAIR]

paganini would beg to differ ;P

[arkhatych]

What???

[IAMINDESPAIR]

I mean, you can't just go around calling people "the best in the history of music" when you havn't even heard paganini himself.

[carrottoponcrak]

neither can you bro

[IAMINDESPAIR]

What is that even supposed to mean?

I just don't want people to make stupid comments like "so and so was the greatest in all history".

If you disagree, we'll just have to agree to disagree.

[kenkim5]

you say dont say so and so is the best but that is exactly what you did. hmmm.

[IAMINDESPAIR]

what do you mean?

[kenkim5]

you are saying that paganini was better than heifetz. thats exactly what you are saying people should not do...hypocritical.

[IAMINDESPAIR]

I didn't say paganini was better, How could I when I could have never have heard him?You're misunderstanding my words. I'm using " Paganini would beg to differ" as a rhetoric to bring to point that since there are violinists you have never heard, you can never say in absolutes, who is the best. You can say, "the best I have ever heard", but not "the best ever"

Hope I made myself clear.

[kenkim5]

but is that not the point of these postings? to place ones thoughts and opinions? for me, i have no problem with people saying x or y musician is the best. surely you have a favorite.

[IAMINDESPAIR]

again, i have nothing against having favourites, just don't make them the best in absolutes. Its an opinion that is particular to you, so you should express it that way. Say "the best in my opinion". Thats the point of my post. Having said that, heifetz is my favourite ;P

[kenkim5]

ha! me too.

[BibidiBobidiBou01]

C'est magnifique.

[yosoyyoyyo]

wow i rly feel the impressionism on the violin much more than on the piano versions

[chewbacca001]

in my opinion, one of the most moving pieces of all time... *sigh...*

[huughjarse]

This is why, If given the bizarre choice, I would rather go blind than deaf..

[dilibau]

@huughjarse nuff said...this made my day

[qzstuffs]

he makes this relatively simple piece sound so beautiful! man i love listening to him playing =D

[allegro24dreamer]

t-i-m-e-l-e-s-s

[classicalbunny]

Completely moved by this.

[davetowers1]

This is the first time I've heard this on violin. It's a fantastic piece of music & I'm not now sure whether I prefer the piano or violin version. Debussy was a master

[TomBarrister]

This is from an alleged "concert" at Pomona in 1951. It was suppposed to be made into a movie, but the producers never completed it.

Transcriptions of this exist for piano and several individual instruments and also some chamber arrangements.

[ChocloManx]

To me there is a sort of honesty -it's hard to explain- in Debussy which really shines on this piece and of course this awesome performance.

[scriabiniste]

It's wonderful to compare this version with Oistrakh's -- very different but both beautiful. I happen to prefer King David but Heifetz's rendition is marvellous.

[seanehawk]

this gets an A++++ its probobly the best ive heard in a LONG time

[DrumcarsFinest]

This is a most moving rendition and I have to say that it is likely that Heifetz got to the very soul of this music. I have often heard comments like - heifetz is cold" heifetz has no emotional involvement" but I say , just close your eyes and listen to to the beautiful quality of the tone. , its on another level ! Axelrod has  a very comprehensive biog of Heifet

[asteri383]

This is the real sound quality, from Heifetz and his Guarnerius "Del Gesu".Probably his most touching performance....

[bellonny]

Para mim Jascha Heifetz foi é e será sempre o gênio violinista dos seculos e seculos

[ewongkl]

Amazing.

His artificial harmonics were almost indistinguishable from normal notes unless you see his hand or listen very hard.

Though sometimes I wonder if that's really the best thing to do, because arguably the use of harmonics is supposed to create a different feeling. Anyone has any idea what's the best accepted interpretation? Should we violinists aim at making harmonics sound as similar as solid notes?

[w00tmjb]

SamLee also has a much later recording of "La Fille Aux Cheveux de Lin". His harmonics are more "harmonic" in that one. Personally I really like the harmonic sound, and not the solid note.

[crankycaz]

It really depends what you're trying to achieve by using a harmonic. Sometimes they're good at creating a cold/insubstantial sound, other times, if they're less distinguishable, they're nice in other ways.

[xilefw]

Excellent!

[missdarcy92]

Breathtaking... this is my favorite piece by Debussy. I've never heard it played on the violin before, and hearing it played by Heifetz is fabulous :D

[ZuperVids]

check out how far his blow leans toward his left hand o.O.. the wood is almost touching the strings

[rob333c]

What a great performance! Thank you for posting this treasure.

[duhhh86]

the ebb and flow inherent in heifetz's playing fits debussy's music perfectly!

[googleman65]

sometimes I vibrato like he does...actually most of the time...

[schilippe]

that's what you think

[Zhou9]

Nice that I know that Heifetz can play slow pieces nicely.

[marcoch91]

nice

bur i really prefer jaques thibaud

on same piece

so much more elegant

the best french style

[IsaacDelarge]

Heifetz himself said that the only thing in the world that could make him cry....was music.

[qzstuffs]

lol he's right. one thing that i couldn't endure is the emotion that the music holds. ^__^

[DrMontague]

Sorry I should have put 1.40

[jarny2]

Being only a beginner with a violin still I tried and I was surprised to see that an artificial harmonic on the G string can produce a very high pitch sound. Of course nothing as clean and beautiful as Heifetz (but who could?) and even if the violin is surely an issue, you can get such high sound yourself. Just go down to 3 or 5th position and simply press the first finger, looking for the corresponding harmonic. It's surprising indeed

[DrMontague]

I find my fourth finger has to past the finger board towards the bride to get that first high note but Heifetz seems to be playing much further down the finger board.

[DrMontague]

got it cheers

[DrMontague]

I think a miracle has been captured on this video.

2.33 Heifetz bow is horizontal, the high notes are being played I can only assume on the G string. I know of harmonics but I've hours trying to copy him. Is it because my violin isn't up to it, or is there some technique that I don't know of. Can anyone please help! :(

[BIGDAAAM]

played this piece transcribed for saxophone, powerful stuff

[abburidotakaria]

could be wrong

[slavetothecause]

So many people dislike Heifetz because of his supposedly "robotic" and unfeeling approach to the violin. This video completely refutes that claim. If anything, the tone of a violinist is what truly reveals his or her passion for the music, and Heifetz's tone is godlike. Create all the flashy stage present you want, but your tone will always reveal whether you truly feel the music or not.

[musical3lottie]

I did a viola masterclass a couple of days ago and Martin Outram was saying that the use of the bow reveals inner energy. Heifetz looks generally serene but his bow belies the opposite!

[DraculaVision]

An extraordinarily tender performance. Very touching and evocative.

[oldjarhead]

It's great to have films of such a historic artist.

Wouldn't we like one of Paganini!

I heard him in concert many years ago whien I was 12.

The audience wouldn't let him quit...he did seven (7) encores, Maiden With Flaxen hair among them.

It's impossible to conceive of his equal, living or dead. He was marvelous!

[DualThunder]

Its a shame we cant still produce artists like the old 20th century masters....

though Im sure one or two shall emerge sooner or later...

[govibe]

I think joshua bell plays this a lot better (on his romance of violin cd)

[SamLee0519]

Joshua Bell's phrasing is extremely chopped up, showing immaturity of music and bow control. Of course, this is only my opinion, but many great violinists and musicians can agree.

[govibe]

if he has so much "immaturity", then why are his recordings always on the classical billboard 100 charts?

[SamLee0519]

Classical billboard doesn't mean anything special. It's what true musicians think of them. Many people that listen to Joshua Bell, from what I've seen, are people that just listen in a manner of leisure and relaxation, which is perfectly fine.

[SamLee0519]

However, this is completely different from listening to the great violinists of the early 20th Century with careful studying of their interpretations, phrasing, and their own unique styles. If you listen to Joshua Bell, it would be a lie to say that you cannot hear chopped-up phrasing, whereas other people like Heifetz or Milstein have very smooth, fluctuating transitions. This isn't just Joshua Bell's problem though. Some modern violinists suffer from this too: Vengerov, Sarah Chang, etc.

[Imonlysleeping9]

Popularity does not equal quality. That is a very important fact to keep in mind.

[schilippe]

here quality is even greater then popularity. Keep THAT in mind!!!

[RagingBull777]

This is my 1st comment in 3 months, I've decided to quit arguing against people who think Heifetz plays with no feeling. I would ask people who feel this way to do one thing: from 1:26 to 2:06 in this video, forget about his fingers and bow, LOOK INTO HIS EYES. He may not close his eyes like Menuhin, contort his face like Vengerov, or rattle his cheeks like Oistrakh. But one would have to be either blind or ignorant to deny that there is absolute sincerity in his eyes and his playing.

[RagingBull777]

This is my 1st comment in 3 months, I've decided to quit arguing against people who think Heifetz plays with no feeling. I would ask people who feel this way to do one thing: from 1:26 to 2:06 in this video, forget about his fingers and bow, LOOK INTO HIS EYES. He may not close his eyes like Menuhin, contort his face like Vengerov, or rattle his cheeks like Oistrakh. But one would have to be either blind or ignorant to deny that there is absolute sincerity in his eyes and his playing.

[KMC1986106]

why does Heifetz's clothes change at 0:22? He starts out wearing light pants, and has collars. At the end he has dark pants and a suit. Is the video itself taken from two different performances?

[RagingBull777]

^^^Wrong...the sound was recorded during the on-stage performance, the beginning part was dubbed over. This was performance was done for a documentary, hence the different uses of footage.

[leviolonist]

Thank you Sam Lee. Heifetz made me believe again that there is a god.

[rossariffin]

I have always believed that no other violinist can make the violin sing so well as Jascha!

[aimson]

My opinion is that no other violinist in history has been able to combine absolutely electric technique and sound with incredible romanticism and emotional sensitivity. If you don't believe me, I can offer many examples to illustrate my point. I don't like everything Heifetz recorded and often times I would rather listen to other violinists but after 21 years of violin listening and playing this is what I believe.

[nsimington]

Based on the testimony of his contemporaries, I think that Enescu (in his prime) must have been similar. However, Enescu hated recording, and made most of his (few) discs after his hearing had been damaged by a botched operation. What a loss for posterity!

[hjdjoo]

i actually teared up when i watched this video.

incredible performance... beautiful

thanks a bunch for the video sam!!

[sutt68]

this is just plain beautiful

[fuckthepain]

Wow, even Heifetz struggled a tad with those double-stopped harmonics at the end. That just goes to show: nobody's perfect. But what a master! Tone, intonation, bow control. Everything's perfect. Captures the charm of this most haunting of pieces in this superb arrangement for violin and piano. Unforgettable! Definitely a favorite.

[Soulill0quy]

he purposely messed up at the end. what a punk

[masertus]

where did he mess up?

as in which minute and second

and how?

[concertolover81291]

wow, that was some of very few "beautiful" Heifetz playing.

[leviolonist]

Beautiful Heifetz as ever. He makes me believe that there is a god.