Josef Hassid - Recordings

Recordings

Fred Gaisberg of EMI arranged for a test recording of Elgar’s La Capricieuse (Op.17) with accompanist Ivor Newton at the Abbey Road Studios on 9 Jan. 1939 when Hassid had just turned 15 and then Walter Legge produced a further eight recordings on 12 and 28 June and 29 Nov. 1940, this time accompanied by Gerald Moore. The delay was due to Hassid’s agent Harold Holt who thought he should continue his studies for another year. Some who heard Hassid perform live say that the records do not show him at his best. Even so, his performances of Joseph Achron’s Hebrew Melody, Sarasate’s Zapateado and Kreisler’s Caprice viennois in particular are superb and show virtuosity of the highest order in expressive phrasing. To quote from Bryan Crimp’s note with the Testament CD: “The moment Hassid puts bow to string he beguiles the ear via a captivating and uniquely individual sound . . ., a peerless technique and an arresting and frequently original interpretative approach. His technical security and cleanness of attack are awesome, his tone at once vibrant, virile and indescribably pure and sweet.” Hassid apparently thought that his vibrato sounded too fast on record, but this is probably just a matter of taste.

Based on notes with CD issues, Feinstein 1997, newspaper advertisements and reviews, etc.

Complete published recordings issued on CD:

• Pearl GEMMCD9939 (1992)
• Testament SBT1010 (1992)
• Symposium SYMPCD1327 (2003)

(The Testament and Symposium CDs also include the test from 1939.)

Josef Hassid was one of several prodigies whose brilliant careers were short lived. Bruno Monsaingeon's The Art of Violin commemorates Hassid.