SKU: CF.BF141

ISBN 9781491159989. UPC: 680160918584.

The three pieces From Jewish Life were composed by Swiss-American composer Ernest Bloch in 1924, the same year he took U.S. citizenship. Though clearly inspired and influenced by Jewish experience, they are purely concert pieces, and do not provide any specific liturgical significance.

The first movement, Prayer, is a deeply heartfelt plea to the almighty. As Neil W Levin writes, The initial four-note motive in the minor mode, together with its elaboration in the ensuing phrases, sounds as if it might have served as the skeletal model for Max Janowski's (1912-1991) now well-known setting of the High Holyday prayer Avinu Malkenu. This prayer has special meaning in my own spiritual life, as I have been singing it since my childhood. Both Prayer and Janowski's Avinu Malkenu are cantorial in nature, to be sung with heartfelt pathos.

The second movement, Supplication (the act of begging humbly), has more angst, almost a sense of urgency as a result of the rhythmic motor in the piano. The third movement, Jewish Song, evokes a quintessentially Eastern-European melancholy. Its falling motives with bent intonation might represent the pain of the Jewish experience.

The works were dedicated to Dutch-American cellist Hans Kindler, a highly influential musician of his time, and founder of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. Mr. Kindler was the soloist for the world premiere of Bloch's most celebrated work, Schelomo in 1917.

Though the popularity of Bloch's oeuvre has been dominated by works of Jewish connection, we should not forget that Bloch had many other stylistic periods, including Franco-Belgian, modal, serial, and even American folk. In 1927, he was awarded Musical America's composition prize in a unanimous vote, despite being regarded as an outsider by American music writers at the time. His winning work America (1928) was performed by every major orchestra and conductor in the following seasons. May we be proud of his contributions to American music.
The three pieces From Jewish Life were composed by Swiss-American composer Ernest Bloch in 1924, the same year he took U.S. citizenship. Though clearly inspired and influenced by Jewish experience, they are purely concert pieces, and do not provide any specific liturgical significance. The first movement, Prayer, is a deeply heartfelt plea to the almighty. As Neil W Levin writes, The initial four-note motive in the minor mode, together with its elaboration in the ensuing phrases, sounds as if it might have served as the skeletal model for Max Janowski's (1912-1991) now well-known setting of the High Holyday prayer Avinu Malkenu. This prayer has special meaning in my own spiritual life, as I have been singing it since my childhood. Both Prayer and Janowski's Avinu Malkenu are cantorial in nature, to be sung with heartfelt pathos. The second movement, Supplication (the act of begging humbly), has more angst, almost a sense of urgency as a result of the rhythmic motor in the piano. The third movement, Jewish Song, evokes a quintessentially Eastern-European melancholy. Its falling motives with bent intonation might represent the pain of the Jewish experience. The works were dedicated to Dutch-American cellist Hans Kindler, a highly influential musician of his time, and founder of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. Mr. Kindler was the soloist for the world premiere of Bloch's most celebrated work, Schelomo in 1917. Though the popularity of Bloch's oeuvre has been dominated by works of Jewish connection, we should not forget that Bloch had many other stylistic periods, including Franco-Belgian, modal, serial, and even American folk. In 1927, he was awarded Musical America's composition prize in a unanimous vote, despite being regarded as an outsider by American music writers at the time. His winning work America (1928) was performed by every major orchestra and conductor in the following seasons. May we be proud of his contributions to American music.
The three pieces From Jewish Life were composed by Swiss-American composer Ernest Bloch in 1924, the same year he took U.S. citizenship. Though clearly inspired and influenced by Jewish experience, they are purely concert pieces, and do not provide any specific liturgical significance.The first movement, “Prayer”, is a deeply heartfelt plea to the almighty. As Neil W Levin writes, “The initial four-note motive in the minor mode, together with its elaboration in the ensuing phrases, sounds as if it might have served as the skeletal model for Max Janowski’s (1912–1991) now well-known setting of the High Holyday prayer Avinu Malkenu.” This prayer has special meaning in my own spiritual life, as I have been singing it since my childhood. Both “Prayer” and Janowski’s Avinu Malkenu are cantorial in nature, to be sung with heartfelt pathos.The second movement, “Supplication” (the act of begging humbly), has more angst, almost a sense of urgency as a result of the rhythmic motor in the piano. The third movement, “Jewish Song”, evokes a quintessentially Eastern-European melancholy. Its falling motives with bent intonation might represent the pain of the Jewish experience.The works were dedicated to Dutch-American cellist Hans Kindler, a highly influential musician of his time, and founder of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. Mr. Kindler was the soloist for the world premiere of Bloch’s most celebrated work, Schelomo in 1917.Though the popularity of Bloch’s oeuvre has been dominated by works of Jewish connection, we should not forget that Bloch had many other stylistic periods, including Franco-Belgian, modal, serial, and even American folk. In 1927, he was awarded Musical America’s composition prize in a unanimous vote, despite being regarded as an outsider by American music writers at the time. His winning work America (1928) was performed by every major orchestra and conductor in the following seasons. May we be proud of his contributions to American music.

SKU: HL.282924

UPC: 888680790851. 5.0x5.0x0.148 inches.

With My Heart Will Go On, the late James Horner created a love song for the ages, winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song in the 1997 mega-hit Titanic. Sung unforgettably by Celine Dion, the Grammy and Golden Globe-winning ballad is now available for younger choirs.

SKU: FG.55011-444-9

ISBN 9790550114449.

Einojuhani Rautavaara (1928-2016) was one of Finland's internationally most successful composers. He made his major breakthrough with the Symphony No. 7, Angel of Light, in the 1990s, but his output includes numerous classic operas, concertos, chamber music and choral works.
Over his extensive career, he progressed from Neo-Classicism to strict dodecaphony to free-tonal Neo-Romanticism, combining modernism with mystical romanticism in his later works. According to the composer, the role of the composer is to be mediator, a midwife, who helps the music become alive on its own terms; Listen to what the music wants to tell you, he told his composition students, sense where it wants to go.
Rautavaara rose to great international fame with the success of his Symphony No. 7, Angel of Light (1995) powered by the prize-winning recording (Helsinki Philharmonic, Segerstam, Ondine label) later the same year. Many high-profile international commissions followed, creating yet
more prize-winning recordings.
To mark the 25th anniversary of the work's premiere - in its original form as the Bloomington Symphony - by the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra and conductor David Pickett, Fennica Gehrman is publishing an entirely new edition of the symphony based on all available sources, including the composer's manuscript and his markings in various printed scores.
This is a large-sized conductor score with extensive analysis of the work and its genesis.