JASCHA HEIFETZ

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 285, 26 August 1921, Page 7

JASCHA HEIFETZ

FURTHER ENTHUSIASM AT THE TOWN HALL At least Jascha Heifetz makes no effort to curry favour with his audiences, except through the wizardry of his art. Ho is as impassive as a Buddhist idol, as grave and sedate as a British diplomat, and in his demeanour never allows it to bo gathered that ho possesses an atom of tho "feu de Slavonique” that often carries with it a slight taint of theatricality. He wins purely and always by the flawless impeccability of his superb technique, at once the envy and despair of worshipping violinists among Iris audiences. With fine dexterity he weaved his spell at the Town Hall last evening, until thunders of applause and oven cheers brought the Russian back to bow seriously this way and that, always .without a glimmer of gratification. AVhen asked in Australia why he refrained from smiling ho is said to have replied: "I am not a comedian.” Accepting hie statement as fact, it might have been retorted that it was the comedian’s task to make others smile, not necessarily to smile himself. But he docs smile —through his violin and he weeps and makes moan . withal, most beautifully. We account it a privilege to have heard Heifetz play Max Bruch s "Scotch Fantitie." Bruch composed as (Worthily for the violin as did Schumann •for the pianoforte, never neglecting the "claims of melody for technical pyrotechnics. Tim “Fantasio," born of many visits to Scotland, is said to contain m its vjarp and woof several Scotch melodies,'but Brach managed very successfully to obscure them. . After the "grave” adagio, played with fine impressment, is a; spirited allegro,, with a distant relation to the pipes suggested. A very beautiful andante gives out "Lochaber No More” in a double-stopped passage of great beauty, and in.the finale comes "Soots Wha Hae Wi Wallace Bled,”'clear and unadorned, to be succeeded by a whirl of intricate variations, quite in the "gui’rriero” spirit, calling for artistry of tho rarer kind. It was a masterly rendition of a masterly wo.rk. There was a. fairy-like grace and. spirit in the manner in which the violinist played the "Hondo Cappricio” of SaintSaens, whose music is ever dressed in fancy’s best. The delicacy and verve, the entrancing tone, and freedom from tho slightest suspicion of slur in. the swiftest passages, caught the audience electncallyf and they would not be satisfied wkh those now familiar bows, And so Beethoven’s "Minuet;,” all fine lace and dimity, set the clock back a hundred years For pure legato playing, stripped of all 'technical embroidery, Handel’s dignified "Larghette,” as played bv Heifetz .could scarcely be surpassed. In the Haydn brief ' Vivace, with its fugue-like theme, and sprightly .contrasts, there was much to admire. Dvorak was represented by a “Slavonic Dance in E Minor," beginning with a melody (double-stopped) .as plaintive, and saddening nqza child crying in the night, and working into a whimsical rhythmical dance measure of varied tempo, and concluding on n wonderful harmonic. Tho Mozart "Rondo” was played with elfin lightness at express speed. It contains V.wo cadenzas of amazing beauty, which wore perfectly played. Such was tho enthusiasm at this point that an encore was Insisted upon, and to the delight of nil was play/d sordino the “Romance Oriental” of Rimsky-Korsakoff, a number imbued, with-nll the softened mystery and strangeness of the immutable East. The. final number, Sarasate’a familiar "Giiisy Airs," was played with rare ’'vigour and speed. As encores Heifetz entranced his audience in Kreisler s "Caprice Vlennoise" and Beethoven’s "Turkish March.” Mr. S. ChotzinOff accompanied with fine sympathy. The final concert to bo given in New Zealand will take place at the Grand Opera House to-morrow evening. .