Jascha Heifetz: Early Years in Russia

Notoriously reticent about his early years, violinist Jascha Heifetz famously reduced the story of his childhood to "Born in Russia. First lessons at 3. Debut in Russia at 7. Debut in Carnegie Hall at 17. That's all there is to say." Tracing his little-known upbringing, Jascha Heifetz: Early Years in Russia uncovers the events and experiences that shaped one of the modern era's most unique talents and enigmatic personalities. Using previously unstudied archival materials and interviews with family and friends, this biography explores Heifetz's meteoric rise in the Russian music world-from his first violin lessons with his father, to his studies at the St. Petersburg Conservatory with the well-known pedagogue Leopold Auer, to his tours throughout Russia and Europe. Spotlighting Auer's close-knit circle of musicians, Galina Kopytova underscores the lives of artists in Russia's "Silver Age"-an explosion of artistic activity amid the rapid social and political changes of the early 20th century.

Table of Contents:
Author's Preface Editors' Introduction Foreign Words List List of Abbreviations 1. Early Roots of the Heifetz Family 2. 1901-1906: Vilnius 3. 1906-1909: Music School 4. 1910: St. Petersburg Conservatory and Nalbandian 5. First Performances in St. Petersburg 6. Summer 1911: Concerts in Pavlovsk and Odessa 7. Fall 1911: In the Class of Professor Auer 8. The Beginning of 1912 9. 1912: First Trip to Germany 10. 1912: A German Tour 11. The Beginning of 1913 12. Summer-Fall 1913: Loschwitz 13. Winter 1913-1914: Bar Mitzvah 14. Spring 1914 15. Summer-Fall 1914: War 16. January-September 1915 17. The End of 1915 18. The First Half of 1916 19. The Second Half of 1916: Norway and Denmark 20. The First Half of 1917: February Revolution 21. Summer 1917: Departure for America Appendix 1: Reviews of Jascha Heifetz's Debut at Carnegie Hall, October 27, 1917 Appendix 2: Jascha Heifetz's Repertoire in Russia Notes Selected Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Galina Kopytova is a scholar and archivist specializing in the history of Russian musical culture. She heads the Office of Manuscripts of the Russian Institute for the History of the Arts in Saint Petersburg and is author of The Society for Jewish Folk Music in St. Petersburg-Petrograd (in Russian) and coauthor of From the History of Jewish Music in Russia (in Russian). Translator Alexandra Sarlo has studied and conducted research in Russia, Slovakia, Serbia, and Ukraine. Translator Dario Sarlo worked as a researcher on the documentary Jascha Heifetz: God's Fiddler by Peter Rosen Productions. He is a musicologist, violinist, and writer for The Strad.

Review :
"No biography of Heifetz I have come across has dealt in detail with this period of his life, one which he viewed with discomfort and as having 'a dark side'. This outstanding volume corrects that omission and provides us with an accurate and exhaustively researched narrative of how one of the most amazing musical prodigies became one of the greatest violinists in history." - Gramophone "A fascinating account, giving a vivid view into a half-forgotten world." - Classical Music