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: BT.EMBZ14779

The arranger of this work (a well-known Hungarian composer living in Romania) writes: This piece has always excited my imagination, from several points of view. First of all, its name. The German title, the obstinate one, may refer to its ostinato character. This is close to Liszt's programme concept, but the French word 'obstiné' is closer in meaning to stubborn. There is just a shade of difference, but to me it is important, because the latter suggests the description of a type of behaviour, the emotional state of a dancer's inner frame of mind abstracted into movements, expressed in dance movements, and this is a fascinating interpretation. The demonstration ofstubborn resistance and defiance to the point of exhaustion was not a frequently occurring phenomenon with Liszt. Secondly, at the beginning of the seventies Zoltán Kocsis played the piece in Transylvania. At that time, I asked the composer, Is the character of the continuous staccato in the left hand sharp, short, or an accompanying background like a constant shadow? Is it a weighty Brahmsian staccato, an ominous knocking? - and so on. Then there are the Bartókian false relations that keep recurring in the work, the B-E flat-G, etc. That foreshadows Debussy, creating harmonic thrills that, when I hear the work, keep my continuing interest alive for it. Finally, my immediate reason for arranging the work was of a family nature: in connection with Liszt's jubilee year, my daughter, who is a cellist, wanted a 'more energetic' piece to play at a bicentenary concert an addition to the existing slow, lyrical, or sombre works written by Liszt for the cello.

The arranger of this work, the well-known Romania-based Hungarian composer Cs ky Boldizsár writes: This piece has always excited my imagination, from several points of view. First of all, its name. The German title, the obstinateone, may refer to its ostinato character, this is close to Liszt's programme concept, but the French word 'obstiné' is closer in meaning to stubborn. There is just a shade of difference, but to me it is important, because the lattersuggests the description of a type of behaviour, the emotional state of a dancer's inner frame of mind abstracted into movements, expressed in dance movements, and this is a fascinating interpretation. The demonstration of stubbornresistance , defiance to the point of exhaustion, was not a frequently occurring phenomenon with Liszt. Secondly, at the beginning of the seventies Zoltán Kocsis played the piece here in Transylvania (Romania).

Der Bearbeiter des Werkes, der renommierte ungarische Komponist aus Rumänien, schreibt: Dieses Stück reizte immer schon meine Phantasie, sogar in vielerlei Hinsicht. Als erstes sein Name. Der deutsche Titel ‚Hartnäckiger' kann auf den ihm innewohnenden ostinativen Charakter hinweisen, was der Liszt'schen Programm-Konzeption näher kommt, das französische ,obstiné' steht jedoch eher dem Wort ‚dickköpfig' nah. Das sind nur geringfügige Unterschiede, mir ist das dennoch wichtig, weil aus Letzterem die Darstellung eines Verhaltens, der in Tanzgesten ausgedrückte, zur Bewegung abstrahierte innere emotionale Zustand eines Tänzers durchscheint, und das ist eine überaus beeindruckendeErklärung. Die Demonstration des bis zur Erschöpfung reichenden Trotzes, der störrischen Kraft erscheint bei Liszt selten. Der zweite Aspekt: Zu Beginn der 70er Jahre spielte bei uns Zoltán Kocsis das Stück. Schon damals (und seitdem) frage ich den Komponisten:.

SKU: HL.50512037

ISBN 9790080147795. UPC: 884088668723. 9.0x12.0x0.079 inches. Ferenc Liszt; Boldizsar Csiky.

The arranger of this work (a well-known Hungarian composer living in Romania) writes: +This piece has always excited my imagination, from several points of view. First of all, its name. The German title, the obstinate one, may refer to its ostinato character. This is close to Liszt's programme concept, but the French word 'obstine' is closer in meaning to stubborn. There is just a shade of difference, but to me it is important, because the latter suggests the description of a type of behaviour, the emotional state of a dancer's inner frame of mind abstracted into movements, expressed in dance movements, and this is a fascinating interpretation. The demonstration of stubborn resistance and defiance to the point of exhaustion was not a frequently occurring phenomenon with Liszt. Secondly, at the beginning of the seventies Zoltan Kocsis played the piece in Transylvania. At that time, I asked the composer, +Is the character of the continuous staccato in the left hand sharp, short, or an accompanying background like a constant shadow? Is it a weighty Brahmsian staccato, an ominous knocking? - and so on. Then there are the Bartokian false relations that keep recurring in the work, the B-E flat-G, etc. That foreshadows Debussy, creating harmonic thrills that, when I hear the work, keep my continuing interest alive for it. Finally, my immediate reason for arranging the work was of a family nature: in connection with Liszt's jubilee year, my daughter, who is a cellist, wanted a 'more energetic' piece to play at a bicentenary concert an addition to the existing slow, lyrical, or sombre works written by Liszt for the cello.+.

SKU: HL.48186482

Reynaldo Hahn: Works for cello and piano [AL 30 749] For quite some time, posterity remembered Reynaldo Hahn (1874-1947) for just a handful of songs and the operetta Ciboulette, overlooking the incredible diversity of a catalogue as eclectic as it is appealing. Yet his chamber music contains many little-known treasures: thus, cellist Steven Isserlis, in his preface, hastens to hail the first modern edition of these two scores, which he regularly plays in recital, so much does their beauty enchant the audience. Published in 1911, the Two Improvisations on Irish Airs for cello and piano turn out to be the transcription of his first and third Preludes for piano four hands (1894). These folk themes come from the collection Songs of Old Ireland, published 12 years earlier by Charles Villiers Stanford: gracefully and tenderly, The Little Red Lark unfurls a melancholic tune of which the regular foundation respects the breadth of phrase typical of folk songs; in The Willow-Tree, the lover begs his beloved in vain to take him in her arms one last time before he lies down, lifeless, in the shade of the tree. Beyond this sensitive exploration of the Irish soul, Hahn offers us a journey into the past: the Variations chantantes sur un air ancien develop a theme borrowed from Cavalli?s opera Xerse. In this aria (1660 version: Act IV, sc. 6), Ambassador Periarco dreams of moving away from court intrigues to be able to taste the pleasures ?to which the gods have destined him?. Reynaldo Hahn?s variations succeed in maintaining the sweet simplicity of this theme, as noble as it is refined. Let us wager that this publication will delight cellists and pianists alike: it contains some nuggets. Deux improvisations sur des airs irlandais (The Little Red Lark, The Willow-Tree) Variations chantantes sur un air ancien.