Happy Kreisler–Heifetz Day!
Celebrate the joint birthday of two violin geniuses
By a stroke of fate, two of the greatest violinists ever to pick up the instrument were both born on 2nd February – Kreisler in 1875 and Heifetz in 1901. It’s almost enough to make me believe in star signs, although of course their sounds and styles were utterly different.
By way of celebration, here are some interesting pieces about the two.
Kreisler at war
Kreisler served in the First World War and wrote a very moving diary of his short time at the front, which I posted on my website here. One interesting insight is how his violin playing helped him judge the approach of shells. ‘My ear, accustomed to differentiate sounds of all kinds, had some time ago, while we still advanced, noted a remarkable discrepancy in the peculiar whine produced by the different shells in their rapid flight through the air as they passed over our heads, some sounding shrill, with a rising tendency, and the others rather dull, with a falling cadence.’ Maybe playing the violin is an evolutionary advantage after all.
On the other hand, he blamed his musical education for his sensitivity to the carnage he was experiencing, comparing himself with a brigadier who took charge of the moment: ‘Within five minutes he had restored confidence, giving definite orders for the welfare of every one, man and beast alike, showing his solicitude for the wounded, for the sick and weak ones, and mingling praise and admonition in just measure. As by magic I felt fortified. Here was a real man undaunted by nervous qualms or by over-sensitiveness. The horrors of the war were distasteful to him, but he bore them with equanimity. It was, perhaps, the first time in my life that I regretted that my artistic education had over-sharpened and overstrung my nervous system, when I saw how manfully and bravely that man bore what seemed to me almost unbearable.’
Alas, I can’t find any videos of Kreisler playing that have sound, but here’s a playlist of gorgeous bon-bons that give a flavour of the warmth and humanity of his playing, including his gloriously dirty shifts. Here is a soundless video of him talking and smiling radiantly, filmed in 1921 and 1928, and this is an interview on his 80th birthday, including lovely tributes from stellar players of the time such as Elman, Menuhin, Morini and Szigeti – a beautiful time capsule.
Jascha Heifetz – Portrait of an Artist
This is a wonderful 1953 short film of Heifetz visiting an unspecified university campus (possibly UCLA?), answering students’ questions, playing pieces including by Brahms, Mendelssohn and Dinicu, and even smiling. Asked what he considers the most important attributes for musicians, he answers, ‘self-respect musically speaking, integrity and enthusiasm’.
And here is an interview I did a few years ago with Itzhak Perlman explaining why Heifetz was one of own violin heroes, but also problematic for students, as he told the master himself: ‘I would tell him that his incredible style and the dominance of the way he played was a curse to students. He asked why, and I explained, “Because everyone is trying to imitate you and they can’t.” When people imitate someone they don’t try to give the essence of what this person is about – they take the dominant traits and try to characterise them, so it becomes a caricature without the content. That’s what happened with him. I was never in that situation. In fact, I would always fight with my fellow students, saying, “Sure he’s a good fiddle player, but what’s-his-name is more profound.” But as I grew up I realised he was an amazing artist.’
Oh, to be a fly on the lake…
Heifetz and Kreisler together in Connecticut in 1919, with violinist Efrem Zimbalist and his wife Alma Gluck