BLOCH Ernest
b Geneva. 24 July 1880
d Oregon, 15 July 1959, aged seventy-eight
He was of a Swiss-Jewish family and much of his work is strongly Jewish. He studied in Geneva and other European capitals between the ages of fourteen and twenty-two and was later much in demand as a teacher of composition. He took American citizenship in 1924. In 1930 an endowment enabled him to return to Europe and to full-time composing for eight years; he then returned to America in 1938 and spent the rest of his life composing.
1900-29 (20-49)
Helvetia, a symphonic fresco for orchestra
1901-2 (21-2)
Symphony in C sharp minor
1904-5 (24-5)
Hiver, symphonic poem
Printemps, symphonic poem
1906 (26)
Poemes d'Automne, for voice and orchestra
1910 (30)
fp Macbeth, opera (written possibly 1903-9)
1912-4 (32-3)
Prelude and Two Psalms for high voice
Israel Symphony, with two sopranos, two altos and bass (1912-16)
1913 (33)
Trois poemes Juifs, for orchestra
1915-16 (35-6)
Schelomo Hebrew Rhapsody, for cello and orchestra
1916 (36)
String Quartet No 1 in B minor
1918-19 (38-9)
Suite for viola Suite for viola and piano 1
920 (40)
Violin Sonata No 1
1921-3 (41-3)
Piano Quintet
1922-4 (42-4)
In the Night, for piano
Poems of the Sea, for piano 1
923 (43)
Baal Shem, for violin and piano
Melody, for violin and piano
Enfantines, for piano
Five Sketches in Sepia, for piano
Nirvana, for piano 1
924-5 (44-5)
Concerto Grosso for strings with piano obbligato
In the Mountains (Haute Savoie), for string quartet
Night, for string quartet
Three Landscapes, for string quartet
Three Nocturnes for piano trio
Violin Sonata No 2, Poeme mystique
Exotic Night, for violin and piano
From Jewish Life, for cello and piano
Meditation Hebraique, for cello and piano 1
925 (45)
Prelude (Recueillement), for string quartet
1926 (46)
America: an Epic Rhapsody, for orchestra
Four Episodes for chamber orchestra
1929 (49)
Abodah, for violin and piano 1
933 (53)
Avodath Hakodesh, sacred service for baritone, chorus and orchestra
1934-6 (54-6)
A Voice in the Wilderness, symphonic poem for cello and orchestra
1935 (55)
Piano Sonata
1937 (57)
Evocations, symphonic suite
Violin Concerto (1937-8)
1938 (58)
Piece for string quartet
1944 (64)
Suite Symphonique
1945 (65)
String Quartet No 2
1946-8 (66-8)
Concerto Symphonique, for piano
1949 (69)
Scherzo fantasque, for piano
1950 (70)
Concertino for viola, flute and strings
Piece for string quartet
1951 (71)
Cinq pieces Hebraiques, for viola and piano
String Quartet No 3 (1951-2)
1952 (72)
Sinfonia Breve
Concerto Grosso for string quartet and string orchestra
1953 (73)
String Quartets No 4 and 5