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Ernest BlochSwiss-American composer
Date of Birth: 24.07.1880
Country:  Switzerland |
Content:
Biography of Ernest Bloch
Ernest Bloch was a Swiss-American composer known for his incorporation of Jewish liturgical melodies into works written in contemporary genres and musical language. He was born on July 24, 1880 in Geneva, Switzerland. Bloch studied under Émile Jaques-Dalcroze in Geneva and furthered his violin playing skills in Brussels under Eugène Ysaÿe. He worked as a conductor in Lausanne from 1911 to 1915 and taught composition at the Geneva Conservatory. In 1916, he came to the United States as a conductor for a ballet company.
Connection to Jewish Traditions
Bloch's creativity was deeply connected to the atmosphere of traditional Jewish homes, leading to a number of his most successful compositions. These include "Trois poèmes juifs" (Three Jewish Poems) for orchestra (1913), Symphony No. 2 "Israel" (1917), "Schelomo: a Hebrew rhapsody" for cello and orchestra (1915-1916), "Baal Shem: three pictures of Chassidic life" for violin and orchestra (1923), "Psalms" (1912-1914), "Suite hébraïque" for violin and piano (1923), "Voice in the Wilderness: a symphonic poem with solo cello" (1937), and one of his most famous works, the synagogue service "Avodath Hakodesh" for mixed choir and orchestra (1934). However, Bloch's talent did not limit him to Jewish themes. In 1903, he composed the opera "Macbeth" based on Shakespeare (libretto by Edmond Fleg). It was performed 15 times at the Paris Opéra-Comique in 1910 and was revived in Naples in 1938.
Recognition and Later Works
Bloch's fame grew rapidly in Europe and the United States thanks to his symphonic works. He dedicated the symphony with chorus "America" (1917) to the memory of Abraham Lincoln and Walt Whitman. He honored his birth country, Switzerland, in the symphonic poem "Helvetia" (1929). Important events in the composer's creative life included his early symphonic works such as "Vivre et aimer" (1900) and "Hiver - printemps" (Winter - Spring, 1905), as well as later works such as the Symphonic Suite (1945), orchestral suite "Poems of the Sea" (1923), and especially the two frequently performed concerti grossi (1925 and 1953), in which pre-classical instrumental genres combine with the composer's contemporary language.
Additionally, Bloch composed two violin sonatas, the "Pome mystique" for violin and piano, a piano concerto, a violin concerto, and several string quartets. His second opera, "Jezabel," remained unfinished. Bloch passed away on July 15, 1959 in Portland, Oregon.
