Presents
Ernest Bloch
Paysages for String Quartet, B.62
Ernest Bloch (1880-1959) was born in the Swiss city of Geneva. He received violin lessons as a child but started composing on his own. He eventually enrolled at the Brussels Conservatory where he studied violin with Eugène Ysaÿe and then later studied composition with Iwan Knorr at the Frankfurt Conservatory. In 1916, he moved to the United States where he remained for the rest of his life. He became a prominent teacher, serving as the first director of the Cleveland Institute of Music and later of the San Francisco Conservatory. Among his many students were George Antheil, Frederick Jacobi, Bernard Rogers, and Roger Sessions. Bloch's early works show the influence of of Richard Strauss but also of Claude Debussy. Once can hear elements of post-Brahmsian late German romanticism as well as French impressionistic effects works from this period. As time went on, he tended to use Jewish liturgical and folk music for his inspiration. He composed in virtually every genre.
During the 1920s, Bloch composed several miniatures for string quartet. Paysages (Landscapes) was completed in 1925 while he was still in Cleveland. It was dedicated to Carl Engel who was president of the Schirmer publishing firm and director of the music division of the Library of Congress. The work consists of three miniatures each of which depicts a landscape in a different geographical location. The first, North, Moderato molto, portrays the frozen wastes of the Arctic. Bloch stated he was inspired by the film Nanook of the North, its vivid images and portrayal of Eskimo life. One critic has described it as a study in pianissimo, descriptive of the bleakness and desolation of icy wastes. The second movement, Alpestre, an allegretto, is an attempt to portray the lush vegetation of the Alpine landscape. The finale is entitled Tongataboo (Allegro) and evokes the pounding dance and percussion traditions of the island of Tongatapu in the Tongan archipelago.
This is a highly evocative and effective work suitable for concert where a short piece is required. It is well within the reach of amateurs who will also find it quite attractive.
Parts: $19.95
Parts & Score: $24.95
