A Young Person's Guide to ERNEST BLOCH : CD Review

Last update : 22, November, 1999.

A Young Person's Guide to ERNEST BLOCH
CD Review

Bloch : Violin Sonatas / Lydia Mordkovitch & Julian Milford Strongly Recommended
Bloch : Works for Chamber Orchestra / Amadeus Chamber Orchestra Strongly Recommended
Ernest Bloch : Complete Works for Violin and Piano/Latica Honda-Rosenberg & Avner Arad Recommended
FRANCK : Sonata & BLOCH : Schelomo / Krystof Lecian & Jan Niederle

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Bloch : Violin Sonatas / Lydia Mordkovitch & Julian Milford
Strongly Recommended Just listening the beginning of NIGUN, I can find that it is never ordinary performance. Mordkovitch's violin shows us really large-scale and substantial music. And the piano is really great, too. It shows us natural, large-scale and delicate performance, and is not only a accompaniment, but gives a great contribution to the quality of the performance. The highlight of the disc is POEME MYSTIQUE, it is extraordinary great performance what any other performances can never surpassed it. Generally, the length of this piece is 20-23 minutes, but this performance lasts 27'26"! From the beginning, the violin starts to play with very slow tempo which may be limit. Generally, if the music like this were played with such a very slow tempo, player's concentration is never kept and the music may become dull. But in this performance, there is never such a thing. I feel that meaning of each tone can be seen very clear. And entering piano is really delicate and beautiful. I feel the short cadenza at the beginning as if Bach's unaccompanied works. And tranquil beauty and loneliness at the middle-part of Gregorian chant is excellent. Anyhow, this recording shows us tremendous concentration and is wonderful performance which never bores listener. There are not so much of good recording of this composition, but this is extraordinary great performance with no objection. I preferred to listen the Weilerstein Duo's recording before. But after listening Mordkovitch's recording I feel I cannot be satisfied by other recordings. However, It is so high density performance that beginner may not understand. Other recordings of the disc are high-level performance and you can see the core of Bloch's chamber music. I long all the rest of the works played by Mordkovitch. Especially, unaccompanied suites will be extraordinary great performance. Despite such a great performance, it is very pity that this recording is very few noticed. Recently, this CD may become hard to get and disappeared from Catalogue. It may be still on the market a little and if you are interested I recommend getting early. Akinori Itoh, Nagoya, Japan, 6, November, 2001

Bloch : Violin Sonatas / Lydia Mordkovitch & Julian Milford

Strongly Recommended
Just listening the beginning of NIGUN, I can find that it is never ordinary performance. Mordkovitch's violin shows us really large-scale and substantial music. And the piano is really great, too. It shows us natural, large-scale and delicate performance, and is not only a accompaniment, but gives a great contribution to the quality of the performance.

The highlight of the disc is POEME MYSTIQUE, it is extraordinary great performance what any other performances can never surpassed it. Generally, the length of this piece is 20-23 minutes, but this performance lasts 27'26"! From the beginning, the violin starts to play with very slow tempo which may be limit. Generally, if the music like this were played with such a very slow tempo, player's concentration is never kept and the music may become dull. But in this performance, there is never such a thing. I feel that meaning of each tone can be seen very clear. And entering piano is really delicate and beautiful. I feel the short cadenza at the beginning as if Bach's unaccompanied works. And tranquil beauty and loneliness at the middle-part of Gregorian chant is excellent. Anyhow, this recording shows us tremendous concentration and is wonderful performance which never bores listener. There are not so much of good recording of this composition, but this is extraordinary great performance with no objection.

I preferred to listen the Weilerstein Duo's recording before. But after listening Mordkovitch's recording I feel I cannot be satisfied by other recordings. However, It is so high density performance that beginner may not understand. Other recordings of the disc are high-level performance and you can see the core of Bloch's chamber music.

I long all the rest of the works played by Mordkovitch. Especially, unaccompanied suites will be extraordinary great performance. Despite such a great performance, it is very pity that this recording is very few noticed. Recently, this CD may become hard to get and disappeared from Catalogue. It may be still on the market a little and if you are interested I recommend getting early.

Akinori Itoh, Nagoya, Japan, 6, November, 2001

Bloch : Works for Chamber Orchestra / Amadeus Chamber Orchestra
Strongly Recommended This disc includes Bloch's compsitions for chamber orchestra. At first, I feel, with clearness of recording, that it is very bright tone. It is so different from exotic coloring like SCHELOMO that the person who knows only SCHELOMO or NIGUN may be surprised. High-light of the disc are CONCERTO GROSSO NO.1 and CONCERTINO. First movement of CONCERTO GROSSO NO.1 is played in very slow tempo. In my opinion, I don't think it must be so slow. Playing in ordinary tempo lets me feel modern sound, but Playing in slow tempo seems to dilute it. However, last 2 movements are really wonderful, the beauty of viola-soli in middle part and elevation of coda of third movement, overwhelming energy of fugue, the last movement. In the fugue, increasing energy with eighth-notes played staccato and its large-scale are excellent. Also, in CONCERTINO, we can find really refreshing music. it is small piece but it gives very much of impression. CONCERTO GROSSO NO.2 also shows classical elegance. Both of performance and sound quality are very well and this is the disc which satisfies listener. Akinori Itoh, Nagoya, Japan, 16, August, 2000

Bloch : Works for Chamber Orchestra / Amadeus Chamber Orchestra

Strongly Recommended
This disc includes Bloch's compsitions for chamber orchestra. At first, I feel, with clearness of recording, that it is very bright tone. It is so different from exotic coloring like SCHELOMO that the person who knows only SCHELOMO or NIGUN may be surprised.

High-light of the disc are CONCERTO GROSSO NO.1 and CONCERTINO. First movement of CONCERTO GROSSO NO.1 is played in very slow tempo. In my opinion, I don't think it must be so slow. Playing in ordinary tempo lets me feel modern sound, but Playing in slow tempo seems to dilute it. However, last 2 movements are really wonderful, the beauty of viola-soli in middle part and elevation of coda of third movement, overwhelming energy of fugue, the last movement. In the fugue, increasing energy with eighth-notes played staccato and its large-scale are excellent.

Also, in CONCERTINO, we can find really refreshing music. it is small piece but it gives very much of impression. CONCERTO GROSSO NO.2 also shows classical elegance.

Both of performance and sound quality are very well and this is the disc which satisfies listener.

Akinori Itoh, Nagoya, Japan, 16, August, 2000

Ernest Bloch : Complete Works for Violin and Piano/Latica Honda-Rosenberg & Avner Arad
Recommended 2CD-set which includes all of Bloch's chamber work for violion and piano. Talking about two sonatas, if I compare this with Mordkovitch's extraordinay performance e.g. POEME MYSTIQUE, it may overshadow, but it is above average enough. On the other hand, unaccompanied works and short pieces are very charming. To tell the truth, until relatively recently, I could not find the worth of the unaccompanied works. I perceive it through the recordings by Hyman Bress or Yehudi Menuhin. And I am really impressed this performance. I can find the worth of the works which mirror Bach's series of unaccompanied works. Each of Bloch's works for violin are wonderful. You can enjoy all of them except CONCERTO through the CD-set. In addition, it is very low-priced. Its sound quality is also very well. Even if you buy the CD it would be never bad bargain. Akinori Itoh, Nagoya, Japan, 16, August, 2000

Ernest Bloch : Complete Works for Violin and Piano/Latica Honda-Rosenberg & Avner Arad

Recommended
2CD-set which includes all of Bloch's chamber work for violion and piano. Talking about two sonatas, if I compare this with Mordkovitch's extraordinay performance e.g. POEME MYSTIQUE, it may overshadow, but it is above average enough.

On the other hand, unaccompanied works and short pieces are very charming. To tell the truth, until relatively recently, I could not find the worth of the unaccompanied works. I perceive it through the recordings by Hyman Bress or Yehudi Menuhin. And I am really impressed this performance. I can find the worth of the works which mirror Bach's series of unaccompanied works.

Each of Bloch's works for violin are wonderful. You can enjoy all of them except CONCERTO through the CD-set. In addition, it is very low-priced.
Its sound quality is also very well. Even if you buy the CD it would be never bad bargain.

Akinori Itoh, Nagoya, Japan, 16, August, 2000

FRANCK : Sonata & BLOCH : Schelomo / Krystof Lecian & Jan Niederle
"Piano accompaniment version of SCHELOMO? And live recording? Is there a worth to performing schelomo whose colorful orchestration is its charm with piano accompaniment?" That was my feeling when I have known the existence of the CD. However, After listening the CD, I realized that it is completely incorrect. It can be said that this is the another SCHELOMO which is different from orchestral version. When I listened the CD for the first time, I was aware of that the impression of the composition is a little different from its orchestral version, but is near to POEME MYSTIQUE. Especially, in the first half, the suppressed expression is very sensitive and have mysterious atmosphere. However, The most important is that the quality of the performance is realy great! In the first half, it is played not too emotional and is shown suppressed expression. But, as getting close to the climax, its passion increases. It is really great performance. Especialy, the piano is dramatic, it is really splendid. I think that the piano acts greater role than the cello for the performance. The pianist's ability would cause success of this performance. By the way, piano reduction of the composition by the composer exists. But it is originally for the orchestra accompaniment. For this reason, The piano reduction includes many of three-stave sections, and it may be impossible to play perfect as it is written. In this performance, this piano reduction may be used. However, there is some passages which never exist in the original, some notes are added, Dynamics is modified. These may make a different atmosphere from the orchestral version. The piano is also great at Franck's sonata. It is truly great performance and the audience screams "Bravo!". This CD is low-priced and may be worth listening for the people who like SCHELOMO. Akinori Itoh, Nagoya, Japan, 16, August, 2000

FRANCK : Sonata & BLOCH : Schelomo / Krystof Lecian & Jan Niederle

"Piano accompaniment version of SCHELOMO? And live recording? Is there a worth to performing schelomo whose colorful orchestration is its charm with piano accompaniment?" That was my feeling when I have known the existence of the CD. However, After listening the CD, I realized that it is completely incorrect. It can be said that this is the another SCHELOMO which is different from orchestral version. When I listened the CD for the first time, I was aware of that the impression of the composition is a little different from its orchestral version, but is near to POEME MYSTIQUE. Especially, in the first half, the suppressed expression is very sensitive and have mysterious atmosphere. However, The most important is that the quality of the performance is realy great! In the first half, it is played not too emotional and is shown suppressed expression. But, as getting close to the climax, its passion increases. It is really great performance. Especialy, the piano is dramatic, it is really splendid. I think that the piano acts greater role than the cello for the performance. The pianist's ability would cause success of this performance.

By the way, piano reduction of the composition by the composer exists. But it is originally for the orchestra accompaniment. For this reason, The piano reduction includes many of three-stave sections, and it may be impossible to play perfect as it is written. In this performance, this piano reduction may be used. However, there is some passages which never exist in the original, some notes are added, Dynamics is modified. These may make a different atmosphere from the orchestral version.

The piano is also great at Franck's sonata. It is truly great performance and the audience screams "Bravo!".

This CD is low-priced and may be worth listening for the people who like SCHELOMO.

Akinori Itoh, Nagoya, Japan, 16, August, 2000

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