Heifetz had to wait until the age of 33 before recording his first concerto. He had made dozens of records in America for Victor from his teenage years, and had long been acknowledged as one of the great violinists of his time. Competition in the US for limited concerto recordings was fierce, however, since several pre-eminent players were on Victor's books, and in the Depression artists were allowed, even encouraged, to make records for HMV. So it was that Heifetz made six pre-war concerto recordings in London. Five of these were with John Barbirolli (as he was then), who was chosen for the task by Fred Gaisberg. This was a typically shrewd move, since as the Mozart shows, there was a good understanding between soloist and conductor. The performance throughout is sheer delight. Heifetz plays with a notably beautiful tone-quality, and strikes a perfect balance between a natural warmth of expression and classical elegance. Every tempo seems perfectly chosen, and there is a feeling of relaxed, harmonious music-making.
There was less harmony between Heifetz and Beecham, especially in the post-war years, as is evidenced by one or two amusing, yet revealing stories of their combative collaborations. Seldom can Sir Thomas have conducted in such a coldly efficient manner on disc as he does here in the Mendelssohn, and Heifetz, whose tone had developed a more cutting edge by this time, shows little feeling in a brisk, glacial account of the first movement and a rapid, perfunctory finale. Only in the Andante does he relax enough to find real beauty in the music.
In some contexts Sargent could be very demanding, but Heifetz found him to be a compliant, skilful accompanist and worked frequently with him. The lightweight, but very pleasant Vieuxtemps concerto, performed here in a cut version, is a perfect vehicle for Heifetz's virtuosity, and he plays with the utmost brilliance and technical perfection. Transfers throughout the disc are very good.'