Jascha Heifetz - The Lark - Impex LP

It's no surprise that Jascha Heifetz held an affinity for the vast, tempestuous ocean and its endlessly opposing forces; that same intensity and sensitivity— the furious and the serene, with its infinite subtleties and nuances— are hallmarks of his sound. That sound— rich in expressiveness, sonority and texture— branded Heifetz the most illustrious violinist in the world.*

Our next all-analog, HQ-180 gram LP is an impeccably performed and stunningly recorded late-period gem from The Titan of modern violinists. The Lark revisits works that helped define Heifetz in various points of his illustrious career and which highlight his crisp attacks, imaginative phrasings, and mellifluous sustained notes.

The repertoire is intriguing, combining two iconic pieces (Tomaso Antonio Vitali's Chaconne in g minor for Violin and Continuo, written in the Baroque period; and Gabriel Fauré's Violin Sonata No. 1 in A Major, Op. 13, written in the late-Romantic period) with Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco's The Lark: Poem for Violin and Piano (a 20th-century modern tone poem). Although nearly two-hundred years separate their composition, these pieces complement each other beautifully: a testament to the discerning judgment of Heifetz and producer John (Jack) Pfeiffer, who helped create his albums.*

The LP was cut by Bernie Grundman from a straight 1-to-1 copy of the original session masters, meticulously created by Andreas Meyer at Swan Studios NYC. No digital processing of any kind was used. The original reverse-tip-on-style jacket and a brand new 4-page insert split the difference between the authentic, nostalgic feel of a mint original and a reissue's value proposition you've come to expect from Impex Records.

* (From Charles Granata's liner notes)

The surfaces are silent so the full impact of the Heifetz sound is heard from bar 1. By the final bar of the Vitali, after Heifetz has had his way with you, if you are not completely emotionally wrung out, well, I don't know!