Leopold Auer and Jascha Heifetz
Today: On the anniversary of his death, enjoy this short c. 1920's colorized silent film clip showing hugely influential violin pedagogue Leopold Auer (1845 - 1930) "coaching" one of his greatest students -- legendary 20th Century super-virtuoso Jascha Heifetz (1901 - 1987).
Auer himself studied under the celebrated virtuoso Joseph Joachim (1831 - 1907), and by the time he was 23 years old, he was already actively teaching.
By most accounts, Auer was an exceptional concert violinist. Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893) in particular was very taken with his playing, noting in a published review that Auer possessed “great expressivity, thoughtful finesse, and poetry of interpretation.”
Nevertheless, Auer’s lasting claim to fame undoubtedly lies in his incredible pedagogic legacy. Auer’s pupils included some of the greatest 20th Century violinists, including Efrem Zimbalist (1889 - 1985), Mischa Elman (1891 - 1967), Jascha Heifetz (1901 - 1987), and Nathan Milstein (1904 - 1992)… an "honor roll" that could easily be extended...
One infamous incident from Auer's career is worth recounting: Tchaikovsky initially wanted to dedicate his famous Violin Concerto to Auer, but after Auer tactlessly informed Tchaikovsky that he regarded the work as “unplayable,” a furious Tchaikovsky withdrew the proposed dedication. (Auer later changed his mind, and Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto came to occupy a prominent place in his extensive repertoire.)
In addition to his pedagogic activities, Auer also penned several books late in life, including “Violin Playing As I Teach It” (1921), “My Long Life in Music” (1923), and “Violin Masterworks and Their Interpretation” (1925). They remain worthwhile reads for violinists.


















