Watching Heifetz’s fingers in slow motion makes you realize how good he really was
by James Bennett, II
Calling Jascha Heifetz one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century is a bit of an understatement. That becomes evident enough once you listen to him blaze through some showpieces — and actually watching the virtuoso at work adds another layer to that story. The clip above comes from the 1951 film Of Men and Music, which provides a window into the musical lives of several 20th century musicians. Heifetz is featured obsessing over perfection and performing Wieniawski’s Scherzo Tarantelle. That’s impressive as is, but the real draw is the slow-motion footage that gives us a closer look at Heifetz’s fingers doing what seems to be impossible. But even in slow-motion, those fingerings still look incredibly fast to us!