Orchestral

Though born in Europe, Ernest Bloch spent most his life in the United States. Unlike other Jewish composers — Mendelssohn, Offenbach, Schoenberg and even Gershwin — Bloch's Jewish origins were frequently stressed in his music. He went out of his way to identify Jewish elements as the source of his creations and he was certainly proud of that association. His early career had all the right ingredients — violin lessons with Ysaÿe, creative influence from Jacques-Dalcroze and composing lessons from Knorr and Thuille. His music can seem full-bodied and "thick" — perhaps a holdover from his early years in Munich where Strauss and Wagner were the standards. Of his music he said "it is the Jewish soul that interests me. It is all that I endeavor to hear myself in my music; the venerable emotion of the race that slumbers way down in my soul."

He wrote his Symphony in C-sharp minor in 1903 when he was finishing his studies and just 23. It is an impressive four-movement work that is notable for its large battery of percussion throughout. It is stuffed with vast climaxes, bigger-than-life gestures, romantic orchestral scenery and lavish color. There are also a few hints of the graphic orchestral touches that would later become characteristic of Bloch's mature and admitted Jewish manner.

His most famous work — "Schelomo" — is also his most Jewish piece. He called it a Hebrew Rhapsody for cello and orchestra. "Schelomo" (Solomon) is based on the Biblical story of the King known for his wisdom. Bloch was fascinated by Solomon all his life and eventually came to compose this single-movement piece. The...more details