Collection Guide
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Heifetz (Jascha) Collection
ARS.0046
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Table of contents
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Archive of Recorded Sound
Title: Jascha Heifetz Collection
creator:
Pfeiffer, John
Identifier/Call Number: ARS.0046
Physical Description:
27 box(es)
22 boxes of 10" and 12" sound discs; 5 boxes of 12" open reel
tapes
Date (inclusive): 1911-1972
Abstract: The collection contains primarily sound
recordings of performances of Jascha Heifetz, but it also includes recordings of other
artists, some of whom were collaborators with Heifetz, as well as one recording of his
teacher, Leopold Auer. There are 924 recordings on 10" and 12" sound discs, including test
pressings, instantaneous discs and commercially released records. Most of the discs are 78
rpm recordings, but there are also a few 33 1/2 rpm 12" discs. In addition to audio discs,
the collection contains 88 recordings on magnetic tape which consist of 1/4" tape on 10"
reels. 61 of the tapes were made between December 14, 1954 and November 21, 1972. 27 of the
tapes are undated. The collection also includes a computer-generated inventory of the
collection prepared by the donor.
Language of Material: English, French, German, Spanish,
Hungarian, Arabic, Italian, Japanese
Physical Location: Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound
Stanford University Libraries Stanford, California 94305-3076
The recordings are arranged in three series: Series 1: 10" discs; Series 2: 12" discs;
Series 3: Open Reel Tapes. Series 1 and 2 are each divided into three sub-series: (1)
Instantaneous Discs; (2) Test Pressings, (3) Commercially Released Recordings. Within each
sub-series the discs are arranged by manufacturer name and matrix number. The tapes are
arranged chronologically by recording date with the undated recordings following the dated
recordings. The undated recordings had been arranged by the donor in the order of
identifying numbers on the tapes. Although it has been possible to provide dates for these
undated recordings, and the date information is included with each individual tape listing
in this finding aid, the original order of the tapes has been maintained.
Jascha Heifetz, legendary American violinist, was born in Vilnius on February 2, 1901. His
first teacher was his own father, but he also studied with Elias Malkin before being
accepted into the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1910. He studied first with Leopold Auer’s
assistant, Nalbandyan, and then with Auer himself. Heifetz had impressed audiences from the
age of six when he performed Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. At the age of ten he performed
in St. Petersburg, and his highly successful Berlin debut took place on May 23, 1912. Later
that same year he performed with the Berlin Philharmonic under the direction of Arthur
Nikisch. In 1917 Heifetz was offered the opportunity to perform a concert tour of the United
States, and on October 27 that year he made his Carnegie Hall debut. In 1925 Heifetz became
an American citizen.
During the early 1920s Heifetz performed in England, Australia and East Asia, and later in
the decade he performed in Palestine. In 1934 he made a return concert visit to Russia.
After the Second World War Heifetz reduced the number of his concert appearances although he
made notable appearances with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in 1967 and at Carnegie
Hall, where he performed collaboratively three times in 1964 with several artists, including
Piatigorsky. Other musicians with whom Heifetz collaborated in chamber concerts were Emanuel
Feuermann, William Primrose and Artur Rubinstein. Beginning in 1962, Heifetz taught at the
University of Southern California, Los Angeles and was the first faculty member to hold the
Heifetz Chair in Music which was established in 1975.
Throughout his life Heifetz made numerous recordings on major labels such as Columbia,
Decca and Gramophone, but the largest number of recordings he made were for the Victor/RCA
Victor label. He composed music himself and also wrote numerous transcriptions for the
violin. Under the alias Jim Hoyl, he wrote the hit song "When You Make Love to Me (Don't
Make Believe)" which was sung by Bing Crosby. Heifetz also commissioned and performed
several new concertos, of which probably the most well-known is the Violin Concerto by
William Walton. Other concertos commissioned by Heifetz include those by Mario
Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Louis Gruenberg and Arnold Schoenberg (which
Heifetz never played).
The supreme artistry of Jascha Heifetz is undisputed, and his name has become synonymous
with absolute perfection in violin playing. During his lifetime he owned more than one
Stradivarius violin, and although his last public performance took place in 1972, he
continued to play up to the end of his life. Heifetz died on December 10, 1987 in Los
Angeles.
Open for research; material must be requested at least two business days in advance of
intended use. Contact the Archive for assistance.
Property rights reside with repository. Publication and reproduction rights reside with the
creators or their heirs. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the
Head Librarian of the Archive of Recorded Sound.
Jascha Heifetz Collection, ARS.0046. Courtesy of the Stanford Archive of Recorded Sound,
Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, CA.
The Jascha Heifetz Collection was assembled and donated by the long-time friend and record
producer of Mr. Heifetz, John (Jack) Pfeiffer, in January and July 1990.
Several discs in the collection were received broken or cracked. Those discs have been
removed from the sequence and placed in Box 1. Box 1 is stored at the Archive of Recorded
Sound.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Violin and piano music
Violin with orchestra
Concertos (Violin)
Sonatas (Violin and piano)
Test pressings (Sound recordings)
Violinists -- United States
Violin music
Pfeiffer, John
Heifetz, Jascha