Ernest Bloch's major works for violin and piano may compel respect, but they might not inspire love or give much pleasure. The violent, unstable Violin Sonata No. 1 (1920) is a bracing expression of the turbulence of World War I, and Bloch pushes the music's tension to incredible lengths over the work's 30 minutes. One may appreciate the sincerity of Bloch's expression and the effort he put in this wrenching work, but still not find it enjoyable or moving for its severity and frequent ugliness. The Violin Sonata No. 2, "Po ...
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Ernest Bloch's major works for violin and piano may compel respect, but they might not inspire love or give much pleasure. The violent, unstable Violin Sonata No. 1 (1920) is a bracing expression of the turbulence of World War I, and Bloch pushes the music's tension to incredible lengths over the work's 30 minutes. One may appreciate the sincerity of Bloch's expression and the effort he put in this wrenching work, but still not find it enjoyable or moving for its severity and frequent ugliness. The Violin Sonata No. 2, "Poème mystique" (1924), is much more serene and easier to digest, yet its ethereal qualities seem falsely Impressionistic, almost as if Bloch adopted the style to escape the chaos and nihilism threatened in the first sonata. The shorter works on this CD are more directly appealing and perhaps easier to like for their simplicity. The sentimental Mélodie (1923), the atmospheric Nuit exotique (1924), and the melancholy Abodah (1928) offer pleasant contrasts to the effusive, overwrought...
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