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Fri, 20 Aug 1999 13:20:49 -0500 |
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Norman Schwartz wrote:
>OTOH the Heifetz sounds as it is being played by a very accurate and
>proficient robot. I have a Living Stereo promotional cassette, RCDJ
>61909-4, containing an interview of John Pfeiffer with Elliot Forrest.
>Pfeiffer (the producer of the Heifetz Beethoven recording under discussion)
>informs us that he advised various masters that they have to speed up their
>recorded performances. He suggests the use of speeds in recording much
>faster than live performance since he didn't want the listener falling
>asleep whilst listening to a recording, the assumption being that unlike
>attendance at a concert there is nothing to hold the listener's attention
>home. Heifetz seems to have heeded this instruction all too well!
I recall a discussion about this Heifetz recording on WFMT many years ago.
I've forgotten the source and would appreciate confirmation or refutation.
Apparently, Munch was occasionally very nonchalant about performances and,
to the dismay of both Heifetz and Pfeiffer(?), Munch seemed to sleepwalk
through the entire recording session of the Beethoven Violin Concerto.
After the session Heifetz and the producer both thought the session was a
disaster and that another recording, perhaps with another orchestra, would
be required. As a result, the recording was "left in the can" for six
months without anyone listening to it. After this time, the producer
review the tape and was surprised to discover a good performance. He
contacted Heifetz, who was also surprised and, after an "audition" to
confirm the quality of the performance, agreed to permit its release.
The point of the discussion was that performers are not always aware of
the quality of a performance at the time. I am unsure of both the story
and the conclusion based on it.
Donald L. Gunter, Ph.D.
Dept. of Medical Physics and Diagnostic Radiology
Rush-Pres. St. Luke's Medical Center
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