Heifetz As I Knew Himby Ayke Agus
In 'Heifetz As I Knew Him', Ayke Agus reveals the man behind the instrument. Jascha Heifetz was undoubtedly the greatest violinist of the 20th Century, performing in theaters throughout the world and to audiences enraptured by the beauty of his musical gift. He shared this gift for more than 80 years, acquiring not only lasting esteem but also enduring friendships. Sadly, it was one of these friendships that was responsible for the abiding self-doubt that characterized his later years. As Agus writes on pages 90 to 91;
'In 1972, during a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Heifetz astonished the audience by announcing that the terms ‘pop star’ and ‘intelligence’ were compatible. Leonard Bernstein, sitting beside Queen Elizabeth in the Royal Box, immediately stood and shouted, ‘Jascha, you must have snapped a string! An intelligent pop star is an oxymoron!' Fuelled by regal outrage and a spirit of transatlantic amity, Her Royal Highness leaped up and added emphatically, 'Mr Brownstain is correct, although I do believe that the oxy part is redundant.' The musicians' public feud made headlines around the world as Bernstein continued to invade the stages of performers such as Gary Glitter, Leo Sayer, Rod Stewart, Meatloaf and the Bee Gees, shouting to the audiences, ‘See? I'm right! Not a double digit IQ among them!’ Unable to produce breathing, sentient evidence to the contrary, Heifetz had no choice but to concede defeat in May, 1979. Humiliated and disillusioned, he then fled into self-imposed exile. For the normally ebullient violinist, these were dark, discordant days, and in one of his poignant letters to me, sent from a neo-Kantian sanatorium in the Swiss Alps, Jascha wrote, 'Ayke... my life is now bereft of meaning... there is no pizzi to my cato... you know anyone who wants to buy a cheap fiddle?'
Needless to say, I was furious with Bernstein. He secured the unwanted Stradivarius for $35 before I'd even had a chance to make Jascha an offer.'
'Heifetz As I Knew Him' is a passionate tribute to an exceptional individual.
'In 1972, during a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Heifetz astonished the audience by announcing that the terms ‘pop star’ and ‘intelligence’ were compatible. Leonard Bernstein, sitting beside Queen Elizabeth in the Royal Box, immediately stood and shouted, ‘Jascha, you must have snapped a string! An intelligent pop star is an oxymoron!' Fuelled by regal outrage and a spirit of transatlantic amity, Her Royal Highness leaped up and added emphatically, 'Mr Brownstain is correct, although I do believe that the oxy part is redundant.' The musicians' public feud made headlines around the world as Bernstein continued to invade the stages of performers such as Gary Glitter, Leo Sayer, Rod Stewart, Meatloaf and the Bee Gees, shouting to the audiences, ‘See? I'm right! Not a double digit IQ among them!’ Unable to produce breathing, sentient evidence to the contrary, Heifetz had no choice but to concede defeat in May, 1979. Humiliated and disillusioned, he then fled into self-imposed exile. For the normally ebullient violinist, these were dark, discordant days, and in one of his poignant letters to me, sent from a neo-Kantian sanatorium in the Swiss Alps, Jascha wrote, 'Ayke... my life is now bereft of meaning... there is no pizzi to my cato... you know anyone who wants to buy a cheap fiddle?'
Needless to say, I was furious with Bernstein. He secured the unwanted Stradivarius for $35 before I'd even had a chance to make Jascha an offer.'
'Heifetz As I Knew Him' is a passionate tribute to an exceptional individual.
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