William Primrose plays Beethoven, Gregor Piatigorski premieres Walton, Jascha Heifetz plays Debussy and Dinicu
BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent, Bell Telephone Orchestra conducted by Donald Vorhees
Cast
William Primrose — Violist
Gregor Piatigorsky — Cellist
Jascha Heifetz — Violinist
David Stimer — Pianist
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Malcolm Sargent — Conductor
Program notes
In three fascinating performances captured on film, a trio of world-class artists—violist William Primrose, cellist Gregor Piatigorsky, and violinist Jascha Heifetz—present selected masterworks for their instruments.
The first performance was recorded in 1958, and features Primrose in a rare television appearance presenting one of his own arrangements of Beethoven’s Notturno with the help of pianist David Stimer. Gregor Piatigorsky’s 1958 concert with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Malcolm Sargent comes next: they give the world premiere of William Walton’s Cello Concerto at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Finally the legendary Jascha Heifetz captured on archival footage in 1949 performs with the Bell Telephone Orchestra under the direction of Donald Vorhees. Together they play Georges Hartmann’s arrangement of Debussy’s La fille aux cheveux de lin and Grigoraș Dinicu’s Hora staccato in its orchestral version.
Photo: William Primrose
