James Ehnes: My Jascha Heifetz Top Five

Paganini: Moto Perpetuo (1918)

Most of us remember that feeling of being 18 and being on top of the world, and here Heifetz really was on top of the world. He'd come to America and created this sensation with these recitals in New York and went into the RCA studios in New Jersey and recorded a lot of these little pieces over a couple of months. With the 'Moto perpetuo' what amuses is that he's so consistently just a little bit ahead of the piano; he’s like a dog that's straining at the leash the entire time. But it's so immaculately played, so I shouldn't say straining: that makes it sound like effort. He is pushing the tempo, he is just on the verge of running away with it at all times and that gives it this incredible excitement. Even just listening to the piece you feel as though you can hardly take a breath.

Ravel: Sonatine, II. Mouvement de Menuet (arr. Roques) (1947)

This is a recording I often play to people who only know Heifetz from those later stereo recordings where things are miked very close, and where there's an intensity and a beauty of the sound, but also a certain amount of grit and gristle. It's a real glimpse into the incredible refinement and beauty of Heifetz's playing. It's a strange little arrangement of this piano piece, and not an arrangement I would necessarily play myself, but I've always found this recording really touching and beautiful. And it’s a recording that’s really representative of that time in his career.

Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 3 (1950)

I think I discovered this recording when I was about 12 or 13, and both musicians on the recording – William Kapell, the pianist, and Heifetz – became sort of obsessions of mine, as did the piece. As these things often go, I heard the recording, started listening to it constantly, decided that I needed to learn that piece and thought: "Oh well, I'm just going to play just like Heifetz!" As time went by, I played the piece a lot for many years.

I listened to the recording recently, and realised I really don't play it anything like that. But listening to it still brings back those memories, those feelings. Heifetz's playing is so distinctive and so individual. Sometimes I fear that to young people today it might seem at times kind of dated, but once you really start listening to this recording, you hear it has such an intense line throughout. It makes the sonata seem incredibly short, because the direction is so strong and so continuous.

Bruch: Scottish Fantasy Op. 46 (1961)

For a lot of violinists of my generation this is maybe the most iconic Heifetz recording. It’s one that was released on CD quite early. I remember going to summer camp in the late '80s and everybody there had this recording. I think because we were all students we were all studying the G minor concerto, and at the time the CD contained the G minor concerto, the 'Scottish Fantasy' and Vieuxtemps Concerto No. 5. It’s such beautiful playing, and it's such exciting playing.

At that time I remember somebody saying that every single note on this recording Heifetz played was better than any note he'd ever play in his whole life. The point was that every note on this recording is played with such single-minded focus. I admire that so much about Heifetz, about how he just seems to care so much. Nothing was ever glossed over. He was the reason we listened to this piece. Lots of violinists played and popularised the G minor concerto, but, if it weren’t for Heifetz, would anybody even play the 'Scottish Fantasy'?

Glazunov: Violin Concerto Op. 82 (1963)

I chose the Glazunov concerto for a lot of the same reasons. I think the Glazunov is a wonderful concerto and I love to play it; I love to listen to it. But without Heifetz, would anybody play that piece? And when was the last time you heard any Glazunov? Basically that violin concerto has become among the only standard pieces in the repertoire by Glazunov because of Heifetz. His recording: once you start it you just can't stop. It should be a challenge for people press play at the beginning of that recording and to find any moment to press stop and walk away. It's a piece that's not much more than 20 minutes long and in this recording it takes an instant. That’s just something really really special, something any performer can aspire to, something they can ask themselves: how do you take a piece where you capture your audience from the very first note and don't let them go until it's over?

Bonus choice – Walton: Violin Concerto (1950)

I totally should have included Heifetz’s recording of the Walton violin concerto! I had a cassette of his recordings of the Elgar and Walton. He recorded the Walton twice, and the one that I grew up with is the one with Walton himself conducting. That playing is so exciting and the piece is so wonderful. There’s a story, supposedly true, that Walton was concerned when he was writing the concerto for Heifetz that it would be difficult enough for him. Heifetz’s reputation was of course as the supreme virtuoso, so as he was writing the piece Walton kept on trying to make it more and more difficult. And the piece has ended up being one of the most ferociously, horrendously difficult pieces ever. But what a great complement it is to Heifetz, even if I wonder if there was a part of him that didn’t really appreciate it!