I went to a violin recital last night. On stage was an aged lady (I'm guessing around 60) who used to be Jascha Heifetz's ex assistant/confidante/pupil. Yes, the Heifetz. I was excited about going to this recital (that I cut short my already-short vacation by a day) because I was hoping to hear some Heifetzian way of playing, live.
The recital turned out to be quite, well, surreal. The violinist, who happened to be a pianist as well, decided to accompany herself and since you can't play two instruments at the same time, she pre-recorded herself on the piano. When she announced this I didn't quite know what to expect. Well, disaster happened when, after she named her program for the night, the disc apparently had a mind of its own and decided to happily jump track. So she didn't open the recital with Elgar's Salut d'Amour as planned, but with Tchaikovsky's Melody. All of us, audience and the artist, ended up guessing what the next piece would be. Fun!
On general, her playing wasn't bad at all. In fact, it was quite fine, despite some unsynchronized playing in some parts (which, I imagine, will be difficult even if you're playing with yourself, especially if you play Romantic pieces with rubato!). But what bothers me the most is how this lady seems to be more keen in presenting the fact that she was the one Heifetz turned to in times of troubles, and how her life has been so much enriched by this proximity, and other balderdash she had done in the name of Heifetz except showing off his influence in music-making.
It must be difficult to stay on perspective when you're that close to such a huge figure. But the only way to get the best out of every situation is by keeping a healthy outlook on something or someone. Successful people normally become big because of what they do, not who they are, and most of the time, when you take their attributes, they are like all of us who eat, sleep, and get wet and curse you when you throw them a bucket of water. To admire them for their genius and other worldly attainments is normal, but to go beyond that is mental. In the case of humble Heifetz (as this lady told us), I think he would like it best when his pupils go around the world continuing his legacy, in that one thing he loved the most, which is music.
