Bloch's Piano Quintet No. 1 features the use of quarter-tones, which he intended to inflect existing diatonic and chromatic intervals to intensify emotions, rather than create a new system.
Composition History
The first movement of Bloch's "Paysages" (Landscapes), titled "North," was composed in one hour in the middle of the night after he was overwhelmed by Robert Flaherty's film "Nanook of the North."
Composer Biography
Bloch was fascinated by the 'exotic' from his youth, reading legends about Incas and researching traditional music from Africa and the Arctic, though he never visited these places.
Performer Biography
The Goldner String Quartet is named after Richard Goldner, a renowned pedagogue, inventor, and founder of the original Musica Viva Australia.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bloch's independence as a composer is evident in his statement about his quintet: 'I write without any regard to please either the so-called 'ultra-moderns' or the so-called 'old-fashioned'.'
Composition History
Bloch's Piano Quintet No. 2 was his last piece of chamber music, composed while he was suffering from the cancer that would claim his life two years later.
Composer Biography
Ernest Bloch, the composer, learned violin from an early age and was encouraged by his teacher Eugène Ysaÿe to pursue composition instead of becoming a professional performer.
