Jascha Heifetz
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Jascha Heifetz was a Lithuanian-born American violin virtuoso (February 1901 – December 10, 1987).Considered one of the greatest instrumentalists of all time on any instrument.Heifetz had an immaculate technique and a tonal beauty that many violinists and other musicians still regard as unequalled.
His style of playing was highly influential in defining the way modern violinists approach the instrument. His use of rapid vibrato, emotionally charged portamento, fast tempos, and superb bow control coalesced to create a highly distinctive sound that make Heifetz's playing instantly recognizable to aficionados.
The violinist Itzhak Perlman, who himself is noted for his rich warm tone and expressive use of portamento, describes Heifetz's tone as like "molten lava" because of its emotional intensity. In creating his sound, Heifetz was very particular about his choice of strings. For his entire career he used a silver wound gut g-string, plain gut d- and a-strings, and a Goldbrokat steel e-string. Heifetz believed that playing on gut strings was important in rendering an individual sound.