D. Stephen Heersink ([log in to unmask]) wrote:

>On the fly, I purchased a Magic Master CD for $2.99 with John Barbirolli
>conducting either the LSO or LPO and with Jascha Heifetz at the violin. ...
>
>Barbarolli's accompaniment is equally good, although a bit too recessed for
>my taste.  Damn if Barbirolli, truly one of the great conductors of the
>last century, couldn't have been a little bit more forward;

Barbirolli was once on tour in South America and, while waiting at an
airport with a group of musicians, pulled up his sleeve and said "Loot
at this watch" (a gold one) "I got it for being rude to Heifetz."

   "Before the war, when I was with the New York Philharmonic, I was
   conducting in the Hollywood Bowl.  Heifetz was the soloist in the
   Tchaikovsky concerto.  When we got to the oboe solo which the soloist
   follows he spoke directly to the player - he paid no attention to
   me.  I might as well not have been there.  'Not like that,' he said,
   'do it like this.'"

   "I wasn't having that, so I said 'He'll do it the way I want him to
   do it.' So Heifetz walked off the platform.  Someone in the orchestra
   must have told Horowitz.  Anyway, when Horowitz heard about it he
   sent me this watch.  Good, isn't it?"

Deryk Barker
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