Piano Quintet No. 1 (Bloch)

Ernest Bloch's Piano Quintet No. 1 is a quintet for piano, 2 violins, viola, and cello. It is regarded as one of Bloch's greatest achievements.[1]

Composed in Cleveland in 1923, the work was markedly innovative for its time[2] and has been described as "suffused with tension",[3] and as embodying a "grim, angry, yet ultimately redemptive vision".[1]

Structure

There are three movements:

  1. Agitato
  2. Andante mistico
  3. Allegro energico.

The work is based around a motto theme built from ascending and descending fourths. The first movement falls roughly into the shape of a sonata allegro, and contrasts material of a grim tone with more mysterious, reflective moments. The second movement is mournful and builds to a huge climax before fading away. The final movement is more rhapsodic in nature contrasting reflective and energetic passages, before ending on a perfect cadence with a sense of serene resolution.[1] The work is notable for its frequent use of quarter tones.[4][5]



Recordings

Notable historical recordings:

References
  1. Walter Simmons (1 February 2004). Voices in the Wilderness: Six American Neo-Romantic Composers. Scarecrow Press. pp. 68–. ISBN 978-0-8108-4884-9. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  2. Basil Smallman (14 November 1996). The Piano Quartet and Quintet: Style, Structure, and Scoring. Oxford University Press. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-19-816640-5. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  3. "Bloch: Piano quintets 1 & 2/Kocian". classicstoday.com. Retrieved November 2012. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  4. Smallman, Basil (1996). The Piano Quartet and Quintet: Style, Structure, and Scoring. Clarendon Press. p. 153. ISBN 0198166400.
  5. Murray, Lucy Miller (2015). Chamber Music: An Extensive Guide for Listeners. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 80. ISBN 1442243430.
  6. Pro Arte Quartet -PDF
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