Jascha Heifetz: Greatest Hits

"The singularity of George Gershwin is an inexhaustible topic. … He is Russian, he is Jewish, he is American. He composes for Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, Hollywood, Carnegie Hall. He is an American in Paris. In Vienna, he is the rare American composer for whom Alban Berg greatly matters. This fluidity of personal identity and musical style promotes a singular fluidity of interpretation. Rhapsody in Blue is equally Gershwin playing with Paul Whiteman's band and Leonard Bernstein playing (at much slower tempos) with the New York Philharmonic. … Jascha Heifetz arranged six Porgy numbers for violin and piano [two are on this CD]. For me, Heifetz's recordings of these pieces, so creatively re-imagined, are among his highest achievements. … Heifetz knew Gershwin; he had hoped for a Gershwin violin concerto. When Gershwin died, Heifetz said, 'We should be ashamed that we didn't appreciate this man when he was here in our midst'" (Joseph Horowitz, "The Singularity of Gershwin," The Unanswered Question, 9/28/10).
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