Heifetz Master Class; 2; Erick Friedman Plays Brahms and Bach

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This record is featured in “National Educational Television.”
Series
Heifetz Master Class
Episode Number
2
Episode
Erick Friedman Plays Brahms and Bach
Producing Organization
Kroll Productions
Contributing Organization
Library of Congress (Washington, District of Columbia)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip/512-zc7rn3195n
NOLA Code
HMCS
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Description
Episode Description
Mr. Friedman, now on his first concert tour of the United States, is Mr. Heifetzs graduate student. Mr. Friedman has recently done a recording for RCA Victor which Mr. Heifetz introduced. He performs Brahms Concerto D Major First Movement and Bach Concerto for Two Violins Last Movement with Mr. Heifetz and Erick Friedman. In spite of Brahms tremendous output, this is his only concerto for the violin. It is a work of full maturity and its date, August 8, 1878, coincides with a particularly happy and productive period in his life. There is little doubt that in composing it, Brahms took Beethovens Violin Concerto as his model. When Brahms first showed the work to his close friend, the great violinist Joachim, for whom he had composed the pieced, Joachim felt it was so difficult as to make it unplayable. After many conversations, Brahms asked Joachim to suggest ways of making it more suitable for instrument. It has since become, along with the Beethoven Concerto, a monument in the violin literature. The Bach Concerto for Two Violins performed by Mr. Heifetz and Erick Friedman is one of the most joyous works from the pen of the great master. Heifetz chose this work to introduce his pupil Erick Friedman, to the musical world, via a recent RCA Victor album. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
Series Description
Jascha Heifetz, this century's greatest violinist, makes a rare television appearance in this special master class series that features him both as an artist and teacher. The episode were recorded during sessions at the Institute for Special Musical Studies at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. These classes are much like any other musical classes - the student performs and the teacher suggests corrections or different interpretations of the music. However, the classes are unique because of the rare opportunity each student has to study with the acknowledged master of the violin. Jascha Heifetz, born in Vilna, Russia, in 1901, began his long career at the age of three. He studied under Leopold Auer in St. Petersburg after having graduated at eight from the school of music in his native city. Heifetz gave his first public concert in St. Petersburg in 1911. He made his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1912 and then toured Europe. In 1917 he made his American debut in New York City where he was a sensational success. At 15, he was recognized as a master technician of the violin. Since then Heifetz has traveled more than 2,000,000 miles around the world on concert tours and has sold more records than any other violinist. Heifetz now limits his activities to chosen concert appearances, recordings, and teaching master classes for a few select pupils at the University of Southern California at Los Angeles. He makes his home in Beverly Hills, California. Brooks Smith, who accompanies all of the students during Heifetz Master Class, has been Mr. Heifetz's accompanist for the past 15 years. Mr. Smith is not only a fine pianist, but one of the ablest accompanists in the concert field. Nathan Kroll, series producer, also produced NET's award-winning Casals Master Class, which captured first prize in the documentary category "the bronze lion of St. Mark" at the 1961 Venice Film Festival and received the Grand Prix for "exceptional achievement" at the 1962 Monte Carlo International Television Film Festival. He has the same production team working with him on the Heifetz series: director, Alexander Hammid and chief editor, Miriam Arsham. During the Second World War, Mr. Kroll was in charge of the First Army Air Forces Radio Unit, under the direction of General Hap Arnold. After the war he worked chiefly with television and film and produced such outstanding programs as Appalachian Spring, A Dancer's World, and Night Journey, all starring Martha Graham, as well as a great variety of documentaries and short films for organizations including the Air Force, the Government of Israel and the National Council of Episcopal Churches. This series of 8 half-hour episodes were originally recorded on film. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
Broadcast Date
1963-00-00
Asset type
Episode
Genres
Performance
Instructional
Topics
Music
Rights
Copyright National Educational Television & Radio Center February 24, 1963 (in notice: 1962)
Media type
Moving Image
Credits
Director: Hammid, Alexander
Editor: Arsham, Miriam
Guest: Friedman, Erick
Host: Heifetz, Jascha
Performer: Friedman, Erick
Performer: Smith, Brooks
Producer: Kroll, Nathan
Producing Organization: Kroll Productions
AAPB Contributor Holdings
Library of Congress
Identifier: 145095-1 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 35mm film
Generation: Copy: Access
Color: B&W
Library of Congress
Identifier: 145095-2 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 35mm film
Generation: Copy: Access
Color: B&W
Library of Congress
Identifier: 145095-3 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 35mm film
Generation: Master
Color: B&W
Library of Congress
Identifier: 145095-4 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 16mm film
Generation: Master
Color: B&W
Library of Congress
Identifier: 145095-5 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 16mm film
Generation: Copy: Access
Color: B&W
Library of Congress
Identifier: 145095-6 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 35mm film
Generation: Master
Color: B&W
Library of Congress
Identifier: 145095-7 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 35mm film
Generation: Copy: Access
Color: B&W
Library of Congress
Identifier: 145095-8 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 16mm film
Generation: Master
Color: B&W
Library of Congress
Identifier: 145095-9 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 16mm film
Generation: Copy: Access
Color: B&W
Library of Congress
Identifier: 145095-10 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 16mm film
Generation: Copy: Access
Color: B&W
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Citations
Chicago: “Heifetz Master Class; 2; Erick Friedman Plays Brahms and Bach,” 1963-00-00, Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed May 9, 2025, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-zc7rn3195n.
MLA: “Heifetz Master Class; 2; Erick Friedman Plays Brahms and Bach.” 1963-00-00. Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. May 9, 2025. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-zc7rn3195n>.
APA: Heifetz Master Class; 2; Erick Friedman Plays Brahms and Bach. Boston, MA: Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-512-zc7rn3195n