Jascha Heifetz, Fritz Reiner - Brahms, Tchaikovsky: Violin Concertos (2005) CD-Rip

While not technically awful, Jascha Heifetz's 1955 recording of Brahms' Violin Concerto with Fritz Reiner conducting the Chicago Symphony is still close to unbearable. By 1955, Heifetz's once sinewy tone had tightened, his once supple technique had hardened, and his once warm interpretation had grown cold. With the never sinewy, supple, or warm Fritz Reiner, Heifetz creates a performance of Brahms' lyrical masterpiece that grates on the sensibilities. With Heifetz's imperious attack, matched by Reiner's insensitive accompaniment and Chicago's perfunctory playing, their Brahms concerto is a thick-waisted, near-sighted, dim-witted bore. Worse yet, their Tchaikovsky concerto is a simpering, whimpering twit with a bleached tone and a harsh affect. But worst of all is Heifetz's self-composed cadenza for the opening movement of the Brahms' concerto. While not in the same league as, say, the ridiculous cadenza Schnittke composed for Beethoven's concerto, Heifetz's wildly angular cadenza is still so far beyond the manner of Brahms that stylistic cogency is impossible and musical integrity is laughable. RCA's reissue, remastered for super audio sound, is a wee bit cleaner than the last reissue of remastered Living Stereo sound.