Comments

Greetings,
you have highlighted a very significant aspect of Heifetz art: he tended to keep phrases on one stirng, just going highe ran dhigher. Very much part of his sound. Of all the Heifetz recordings my leats favorite is the Bach double recorded with himslef. Yes, I would rathe rlisten to Manze.
Cheers,
Buri Karen, thanks for posting the link to Heifetz's performance. Heifetz and his student seemed to play together seamlessly. I haven't played this piece seriously in years, but I listen to recordings frequently and play a little of it from time to time. The way I was taught it, probably at about age 13, sticks with me, and it may be good to make some changes. Heifetz did some things differently than I do, including bowing and glissando. Also, as Buri pointed out, he liked to keep playing on one string, just shifting higher. I will study that clip. There is so much to learn from it. The first movement of this concerto is in Suzuki Book 5, and I'm looking forward to playing it with one of my students.

I've been playing violin with a violist recently, having lots of fun. Sometimes she tries to play the second violin part in different ways -- playing the notes as written, playing them an octave lower, or other variations. When she plays in third or fourth position on the A string, we both tend not to like the sound. It's a lot of fun trying things and figuring out what we do and don't like. I think the depth and richness of the viola complement the violin so well. I've become so fond of the sound of the viola and it's "linking" properties, that I'm almost tempted to learn to play it. If my friend is interested, I will ask Jennifer for her transcription, too.

It is important to experiment as you are doing, whether or not the A-415 crowd likes it or not. Some experiments of this type work, and some do not (I particularly hate the substitution of violin for clarinet in Beethoven's opus 11 trio). If it works for you, that is the test. Keep at it and good luck!