These performances were recently available separately on RCA Living Stereo CDs, and their reappearance on one mid-priced disc is certainly welcome. Heifetz’s legendary singing tone, dead-on accuracy, and impulsive drive rarely were more evident than in this stunning Brahms performance, one of the fastest ever. Yet it’s not speed for speed’s sake, as Heifetz’s engaging energy serves the music handsomely (especially as he supplies his own virtuosic yet stylistically attuned cadenza), making this warhorse of a concerto sound ever fresh and vital. He finds ideal partners in Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony, who offer a powerful and polished accompaniment. The 1957 recording sounds astonishingly vivid and naturally balanced.
The Heifetz/Piatigorsky Double Concerto is a fairly blistering account that reveals a youthful ardor residing in the aging Brahms. Again tempos are quick, with the two soloists being pushed seemingly to the limit yet still managing technically flawless performances. However, in this case the speed lends the music a breathless quality that (especially in the finale) somewhat shortchanges its harmonic nuance and rhythmic subtlety. Nevertheless, if it’s unbridled virtuosity you want in this work, Heifetz and Piatigorsky fill the bill–especially as they’re supported by an equally revved-up Alfred Wallenstein with the RCA Victor Symphony. The 1960 recording is considerably less warm and full than the Chicago sessions, but sounds decent enough. This release easily beats out similarly coupled offerings–and at mid price too! What a deal!
