The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-03-14
THE HEIFETz CONCERT

The concert last night was a fitting
climax to the Dotterweich series or
this year, a series which has main
tanned an unusually high level. For
in the person of Jascha Heifetz we
made the acquaintance of an unques-
toned genius of the violin. One hard
~ knows which to stress most, the al
most flaWless accuracy of the lett
hand, the marvellous bow technique
or the rich, warm beauty of the tone.
He is a virtuosi in the true sense or
the word Nothing seems difficult Tor
him. always accomplished with such
ease. In the most rapid passages, the
tone never loses its distinctive quality,
while the "double-Stops" are appar-
emily mere chiId's play for him. His
knowledge of the various styles is
comprehensive and exact. He was
noble and dignified in the Bruch Con-
certo. sufficiently capricious in the
Rondo of Sa.ut-Sa ems, and each of the
smaller numbers forming the last two
groups was a gem of its own particu-
lar genre. He had an enormous and
insta ntaneous success with his audi
ence. After his second number the
recalls were very insistent but an en-
core was denied until the third num-
her. The Sarasate Tarantelle. which
closed the program. was a veritabIe
tour de force The ION Wings of
Song by Mendelssohn, which was
given as an encore after the last
group, was a beautiful example of sus-
tanned cantilena playing, double-stop-
ping. and polyphony on the violin.
All credit to Henry ]. Dotterweich
for enabling us to make the acQuaint-
ance of this sterling artist and for the
magnificent series which we have en-
joyed this winter. Next years series
promises even better and more brill
liant things. H. V. S.
of the city auditorium last evening the
large number of people who were for
tunate enough to hear Heifetz en-
joyed a treat such as is seldom avail
able. They expressed their apprecia-
ton in no faltering manner. altho
they succeeded in obtaining only two
encores from this young wizard.
The Bruch Concerto. which was the
opening number, is usually as hard
for. the audience to comprehend as 1t
is for the artist to convey palatably.
AS Heifetz played it, it remained such
in the first two movements. The last
movement, however, was done with
authoritative command of mastery
over all the difficulties it offers to a
degree of giving it new meaning.
The Rondo Capricioso. by Saint
Saens. was beautiful. The varied pull
sations infused by the composer were
skillfully detected and convincingly
interpreted.
In group three Heifetz displayed
some of his best playing. The Chopin
z minor Nocturne, tho in parts a
little lIlpdlIGQ DS IdCk Oh DO6llC III
depreciation, was exceedingly we'll
treated. The Dance No. Z in A Ma
jor by Brahms was in my judgment
the most musicianly played number
of the entire program. Heifetz dis
played more temperament and artis-
tic understanding in this number than
in any of the rest. The Perpetual
Motion number by RiesS was exc
cuted brilliantly but with less
marked rhythmic accumulation than
one expects from Heifetz. His bowling
has ever been witnessed on a concert
stage in Topeka.
The last number on the program,
and Tarantelle by Sara
sate is a we'll known piece of violin
music and is unfortunately attempted !
by too many people who are not equal |
to the demands on technical excel |
lence for it's rendition. Heifetz took |
the TaranteIle at such terrific speed |
and played it SO brilliantly that it /
was nearly beWiIdering to his hearers !
yet to him it seemed easy and almost !
a few moments toying.
This young man has a marvellous ]
bow arm. There seems to be no con- |
trivable motion thru which he cannot |
maneuver with ease. Eastern critics /
have gone so far as to acclaim this !
am inclined to think some of them |
went on a jag when they proclaimed |
this without reservations. For among /
virtuosi like Heifetz, Kreisler, Elman |
and a few others, 1t is difficult to /
Isolate any one as superior to the |
others. excepting perhaps in some par /
Licular individual way. On the whole
are not wisely chosen. |