July 24, 1880 Geneva - July 15, 1969 Portland
"Music should, like other arts, be an integral part of our lives. Everyone has the right to share its beauty. I think it is important to write good, genuine music, my music." Ernest Bloch
Ernest Bloch's own instrument was the violin. He composed a lot of chamber music, especially in the scoring for strings and piano. His violin sonatas and the two piano quintets continue to enjoy great popularity. This also applies to several works for cello and piano (including Shelomo, Méditation Hébraïque), which he originally composed for cello and orchestra. Among Bloch's most important keyboard compositions are his Piano Sonata (1935), Five Sketches in Sepia (1923) and Visions and Prophecies (1935). His keyboard music has its own character: With its enormous richness of color, it is always a nuanced journey between late Romantic, Impressionistic and Expressionistic elements.
Immerse yourself in the music of Ernest Bloch with the PIANOVERSAL listening tips!
PIANOVERSAL listening tips: Ernest Bloch
Piano Quintet No. 1 (1923)
The Pro Arte Quartet has always championed the music of composer Ernest Bloch in its hundred-year (!) history. The first recording of the Piano Quintet comes from London, and a later generation of the quartet devoted itself to the same work in 1991.
soundcloud_Bloch_pianoquintet_1_proarte1991
ProArteQuartet
Norman Paulu (1st violin), Jae Kyung Kim (2nd violin), Richard Blum (viola), Parry Karp (cello), Howard Karp (piano)
Recording: 1991
youtube_Bloch_pianoquintet_historical
Pro Arte String Quartet & Aflredo Casella - piano
Recording: 1931, London (This is a special historical recording, the sound quality is limited)
Piano Sonata (1935)
youtube_Bloch_pianosonata
Zecharia Plavin - piano
(Recording: 1991)
Visions and prophecies (1935)
soundcloud_Bloch_Visions_Prophecies
Yaltah Menuhin - piano
Concerto Grosso No. 1 for String Orchestra and obligatory piano (1925)
youtube_Bloch_concertogrosso1
1. Prelude
2. Dirge
3. Pastorale and Rustic Dances
4. Fugue
Israel Chamber Orchestra; Irit Rob - piano, Yoav Talmi - conductor
Concertino for Flute, Clarinet and Piano (1950)
youtube_Bloch_concertino
Olesia Tertychnaia - flute, Nikita Lutikov - clarinet, Oleg Vainstein - piano
Live St. Petersburg 14.2.2017
(Малый зал Санкт-Петербургской филармонии им. Д.Д.Шостаковича)
In the Night (In der Nacht), a love poem for piano (1922)
youtube_Bloch_In_the_Night
Margaret Fingerhut - piano
Marta Fingerhut has recorded the complete keyboard works by Ernest Bloch:
spotify_Bloch_pianomusic_fingerhut
More information about Ernest Bloch:
The "Ernest Bloch Collection" at The Library of Congress
Bloch_collection_library_of_congress
Ernest Bloch Legacy (USA)
www.ernestbloch.org
International Ernest Bloch Society (UK)
ernestblochsociety.org
Association BloCH (Switzerland)
ernestbloch.ch
Browse the PIANOVERSALRegister !
Ernest Bloch: Composer of the Week No. 18 / May 2018