Bloch's work Abodah, subtitled 'A Yom Kippur Melody,' was written for the young Yehudi Menuhin after Bloch heard him perform in San Francisco in 1928.
Composition History
Bloch's Violin Sonata No 1 was written soon after World War I, reflecting 'the terrible war' and 'the terrible peace' that followed it.
Composition History
The composition of Bloch's Violin Sonata No 2, Poème mystique, was inspired by a dream he had after a mild overdose of Veronal during a period of intense crisis and illness.
Composer Biography
The violin was Ernest Bloch's primary instrument; he studied with Eugène Ysaÿe, who encouraged him to pursue composition over a performing career.
Composer Biography
Ernest Bloch, born in Geneva in 1880, died in Portland, Oregon, in 1959, with his compositional career spanning five distinct phases across Europe and the United States.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Ernest Bloch described his Violin Sonata No 1 as representing 'the world as it is: the frantic struggle of blind and primordial forces,' while his Violin Sonata No 2, Poème mystique, depicts 'the world as it should be: the world of which we dream.'
Composer's Artistic Vision
Ernest Bloch's stated priority was to express the full range of human emotions, which is reflected in the technical demands of his violin writing and the varied musical language of his repertoire.
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Curiosa
Bazzini: Works for Violin and Piano, Vol. 1
Between 1945 and 1960: Albrecht, Schweppe, Seiber
Violin Plus One
Camilleri: Music for Violin and Piano
Joaquín Turina: Integral de las sonatas para violín y piano.
