Interesting, Ubu. Do you really play a lot from it? Do you find his later stuff as good as his earlier?
As I mentioned, I only have a couple of his discs with orchestra, and don't play them that much. However, I forgot that I have his chamber box, and like that a lot. Love even.
I watched a documentary about him "God's Fiddler", which is very good. Although it doesn't try to tear him down or anything (far from it), afterwards I found myself a bit prejudiced against him and his music. He was such an odd bird, in a cold fish sort of way (to shamelessly mix metaphors
). In Rubinstein's 2 volumes of autobiography (great reading!) he makes fun of Heifetz some (they were friends). He says he didn't really love the music enough--but then that is kind of Rubinstein's stock criticism against his "rivals" (he says that several times in regards to Horowitz).
Ha, a friend presented me with the two Rubinstein books last year, but I've not read a page in 'em yet ... I tend to prefer early Heifetz - the concertos with Barbirolli ... as the big sucker was gone, I went for the ICON (terrific!) and the Sony sets (Plays Mozart, Plays Great Violin Concertos). The "Sinfonia concertante" with Primrose is otherworldly! As for the duplications of repertoire between the ICON and the Great Concertos, I prefer(red) the earlier ones in general.
But then I also got the Heifetz/Piatigorsky box and I love all that chamber music!
Also think highly of the Bach solo ... and of the early trio with Rubinstein/Feuermann.
So there's indeed lots of Heifetz I love (though for Beethoven sonatas I tend to go elsewhere, Heifetz' piano players aren't that much to my liking usually.
Btw, the same friend who gave me the Rubinstein books received my four smaller Heifetz boxes after I got the big one ...
Furthermore, anyone calling Heifetz "cold" should check if s/he's still alive himself

(not picking any fights, but yeah, Rubinstein is another BIG favourite of mine

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