Heifetz's Beethoven Violin Concerto with Charles Munch is the greatest recording of its kind. It's pointless in a work this lyrical and calm to accuse Heifetz of overpowering the music – he doesn't – and while there will always be favorite versions that view the work from a more, well, “olympian” perspective (Oistrakh / Cluytens, or Menuhin / Furtwängler, for example), Heifetz and Munch play the music with a classical poise and chiseled perfection that is very special. In the first movement particularly, the swift basic tempo produces a tension, a quiet energy that seems very much to Beethoven's point, while the Larghetto and Finale couldn't be better paced. It goes without saying that Heifetz's flawless intonation and ear-catching articulation leave most other players in the shade. ClassicsToday
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The greatest recording of its kind
Heifetz's Beethoven Violin Concerto with Charles Munch is the greatest recording of its kind. It's pointless in a work this lyrical and calm to accuse Heifetz of overpowering the music – he doesn't – and while there will always be favorite versions that view the work from a more, well, “olympian” perspective (Oistrakh / Cluytens, or Menuhin / Furtwängler, for example), Heifetz and Munch play the music with a classical poise and chiseled perfection that is very special. In the first movement particularly, the swift basic tempo produces a tension, a quiet energy that seems very much to Beethoven's point, while the Larghetto and Finale couldn't be better paced. It goes without saying that Heifetz's flawless intonation and ear-catching articulation leave most other players in the shade.
