Jewish Tone Poems

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This disc presents premiere recordings of works about Biblical heroines by three very different composers. Avshalomov, born in Siberia, spent most of his life in China, but eventually settled in Oregon. Basically self-taught, he was influenced by Ernest Bloch and developed a tonal, eclectic style combining Western romanticism and orchestration with traditional Chinese elements. Though only loosely connected to Judaism, he formed close ties with the Jewish communities of Shanghai and Portland; the latter commissioned "Four Tableaux" in 1928. The music, portraying Esther, Rebecca, Ruth and Naomi, is mostly somber, but concludes with a triumphant fanfare. Though recognition eluded him, Ashvalomov left a musical legacy: his son Jacob and grandson David are composers, his grandson Daniel is a violist. Seattle-born Silver wrote "Song of Sarah" in 1985 in Israel, inspired by a mournful Hassidic tune she heard through a yeshiva window. Depicting Sarah's grief at her barrenness, her prayer for a child and its miraculous fulfillment, it is a strong, dramatic piece using both tonality and atonality, with melodic fragments over an obsessively motoric, murmurous undercurrent. Scored for strings, its substantial, soaring solo violin part is played very well by the (unidentified) concertmaster. Born in Germany to a family of Christian converts, Meyerowitz discovered his Jewish heritage accidentally in his teens. After fleeing to Italy and France, he came to America in 1946, quickly establishing himself as teacher and composer. His music is emotional, skillfully crafted, tonal, eclectic, rooted but not locked in his European past. "Midrash Esther," written in 1954, evokes rather than relates the biblical story. The solemn first movement depicts the Jews' desperate situation, the second Haman's hatred with agitated passages, ominous dissonant crashes, a distorted march. The third is a tender, intimate love-duet between Esther and Ahasuerus on strings and woodwinds, the fourth transforms catastrophe into triumph. --Edith Eisler

Jewish Tone Poems, Music, Aaron Avshalomov, Jan Meyerowitz, Sheila Silver, Gerard Schwarz, Yoel Levi, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin, Classical, Classical Composers, Orchestral, Orchestral & Symphonic, Orchestral Music, Symphonic, Symphony, V/A Compilations

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Jewish Tone Poems

Manufacturer: Milken Archive
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
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Paul Schoenfield: Concerto for Viola & Orchestra; Four Motets; The Merchant and the Pauper (Excerpts from Act 2)

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Genesis Suite

Jewish String Quartets

ASIN: B0002B7PFA
Release Date: 2004-07-20

Tracks:

Queen Esther's Prayer - Gerard Schwarz
Rebecca By The Well - Gerard Schwarz
Ruth And Naomi - Gerard Schwarz
Processional - Gerard Schwarz
I. Allegro Misterioso - Gerard Schwarz
II. Softly, As In Prayer - Gerard Schwarz
III. Fast And Very Precise - Gerard Schwarz
I. Andante Grave Assai - Yoel Levi
II. Haman: Molto Agitato E Feroce - Yoel Levi
III. Esther And Ahasuerus: Adagio-Cantabilissimo - Yoel Levi
IV. Purim: Allegro Aggressivo, Ma Festoso - Yoel Levi

Amazon.com

This disc presents premiere recordings of works about Biblical heroines by three very different composers. Avshalomov, born in Siberia, spent most of his life in China, but eventually settled in Oregon. Basically self-taught, he was influenced by Ernest Bloch and developed a tonal, eclectic style combining Western romanticism and orchestration with traditional Chinese elements. Though only loosely connected to Judaism, he formed close ties with the Jewish communities of Shanghai and Portland; the latter commissioned "Four Tableaux" in 1928. The music, portraying Esther, Rebecca, Ruth and Naomi, is mostly somber, but concludes with a triumphant fanfare. Though recognition eluded him, Ashvalomov left a musical legacy: his son Jacob and grandson David are composers, his grandson Daniel is a violist. Seattle-born Silver wrote "Song of Sarah" in 1985 in Israel, inspired by a mournful Hassidic tune she heard through a yeshiva window. Depicting Sarah's grief at her barrenness, her prayer for a child and its miraculous fulfillment, it is a strong, dramatic piece using both tonality and atonality, with melodic fragments over an obsessively motoric, murmurous undercurrent. Scored for strings, its substantial, soaring solo violin part is played very well by the (unidentified) concertmaster. Born in Germany to a family of Christian converts, Meyerowitz discovered his Jewish heritage accidentally in his teens. After fleeing to Italy and France, he came to America in 1946, quickly establishing himself as teacher and composer. His music is emotional, skillfully crafted, tonal, eclectic, rooted but not locked in his European past. "Midrash Esther," written in 1954, evokes rather than relates the biblical story. The solemn first movement depicts the Jews' desperate situation, the second Haman's hatred with agitated passages, ominous dissonant crashes, a distorted march. The third is a tender, intimate love-duet between Esther and Ahasuerus on strings and woodwinds, the fourth transforms catastrophe into triumph. --Edith Eisler

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Bassoon Fantasia

Manufacturer: Pavane
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Melodie
Salu d'Amour Op. 12
Hora Staccato
Etude Op. 25 No. 7
Fantasie avec variations sur un Air Napolitain, Op. 8
Liebesfreud
Liebesleid
Adagio Op. 9 - Vol. 2
From Jewish Life (Prayer)
Sakura, Sakura (Cherry Blossoms)
Tango
Vocalise Op. 34, No. 14
'Siete Canciones Populares Espanolas': Asturiana
'Siete Canciones Populares Espanolas': Polo
Elegie Op. 24
Romance Op. 36

Ernest Bloch: Three Jewish Poems/Two Last Poems/Evocations

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Ernest Bloch: Three Jewish Poems/Two Last Poems/Evocations

Manufacturer: Koch Int'l Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000001SH1
Release Date: 1994-05-31

Tracks:

Three Jewish Poems: Trois Poemes Juifs: Dance: Poco Animato
Three Jewish Poems: Trois Poemes Juifs: Rite: Calmo (Andante Moderato)
Three Jewish Poems: Trois Poemes Juifs: Funeral Procession: Lento Assai
Two Last Poems... (Maybe...): Two Last Poems: Funeral Music
Two Last Poems... (Maybe...): Two Last Poems: Life Again?
Evocations: Evocations: Contemplation
Evocations: Evocations: Houang Ti (God of War)
Evocations: Evocations: Renouveau (Springtime)

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Ernest Bloch (1880-1959), born in Switzerland, wrote a kind of modern romanticism that reflected his Jewish folk-tune ancestry. It has as its base a kind of trenchant longing, a wistful aimlessness that gives the music a breezy quality. Bloch's true strength lies in his writing for the violin; nearly all his melodies are grounded in the strings--as in Three Jewish Poems (of 1913). And Bloch's music has always been deeply personal--more so than any other composer of his era (except perhaps the music of Frederic Delius who beats everybody hands-down in deeply personal music). This is very lovely music. --Paul Cook

Ernest Bloch: Macbeth (1919) - Two Interludes / Three Jewish Poems (1913) / In Memoriam (1952) / Symphony In E flat (1954/5) - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Dalia Atlas Sternberg

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Ernest Bloch: Macbeth (1919) - Two Interludes / Three Jewish Poems (1913) / In Memoriam (1952) / Symphony In E flat (1954/5) - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Dalia Atlas Sternberg
Ernest Bloch , Dalia Atlas Sternberg , David Towse , and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Bloch: Concerti Grossi Nos. 1 and 2 / String Quartet

ASIN: B0000030XO
Release Date: 1998-01-20

Tracks:

Act I
Act 3
Danse (Poco Animato)
Rite (Calmo-Andante Moderato)
Cortege Funebre (Lento Assai)
In Memoriam
First Movement: Tranquillo-Allegro Deciso
Second Movement: Allegro
Third Movement: Andante
Fourth Movement: Allegro Deciso

Amazon.com

The most striking features of this release are the physical sound and exceptional level of performance Dalia Sternberg gets out of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The sound is bright and sharp without being tinny. Praise for this goes to Maestro Sternberg. She seems to have a feel for this music (the Three Jewish Poems will have you melt in your chair), and she gets just the right folk-music touches without allowing the music to become maudlin. The highlight here is the stately Symphony in E-flat. It is much less based on Jewish themes, but still tonal. --Paul Cook

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Totenberg is Underrated
Lovingly done

Bloch: Violin Concerto

Manufacturer: Vanguard Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000023D7
Release Date: 1993-05-10

Tracks:

Concerto For Violin And Orchestra: Allegro deciso
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra: Andante
Concerto For Violin And Orchestra: Deciso
Rhapsody No.1 For Violin And Orchestra: Lassu
Rhapsody No.1 For Violin And Orchestra: Friss
Trois Poemes juifs: Danse
Trois Poemes juifs: Rite
Trois Poemes juifs: Cort fune

Customer Reviews:

Totenberg is Underrated.......2005-12-27

I was fortunate to take numbers of lessons from Mr. Totenberg some time ago. His reading of the Bloch was sincere, moving, and technique-brillant. I think this is one of his best recordings and is at the same league with other big name violinists. Strongly recommended, you won't be disappointed.

Lovingly done.......1999-11-13

The Bloch with Totenberg and Goschmann somehow manages to go to the core of the listener without the maudlin moments of Menuhin and Kletzki (1960), or the unbelievable sloppiness of Szygeti and Munch (1938). It is a major work, not heard enough, but a bear to interpret effectively. Totenberg affects us deeply by not trying to affect us deeply. He was an honest and effective artist, too much forgotten. He couldn't have asked for a better collaborator than the estimable Goslchmann, one of this century's greatest proponents of new music. We've forgotten about him, too.

The Bartok, another lovely work, gets a reading very much like what Andre Gertler gave us on an old Crossroads/Supraphon release, but gives it to us in better sound.

It's also good to have the old Hartford issue of the Jewish Poems back, too. All the Hartford's old issues under Mahler were very musical, very worthwhile, and this is one of the best.

Many thanks to Vanguard for having the vision to reissue these performances!

Track Listings: