Ernest Bloch

Ernest Bloch (1880-1959) was a Swiss-born Jewish composer. Schelomo: Rhapsodie Hébra que was the last and best known works of his Jewish Cycle in which he attempted to find some sort of musical identity - the Jewish state having not yet come into existence when he was writing. The solo Cello is intended to represent the voice of King Solomon while the orchestral accompaniment is often seen to express Solomon?s hidden thoughts. This edition has had the accompaniment transcribed for the Piano and includes a separate score for the Cello part.

A fabulous work of chamber music by Swiss composer Ernest Bloch completed in 1924. At its heart Bloch's Jewish music is emotional expressionist and despite a slow sombre mood is coloured by an exotic ambience which reflects his increasingly Jewish voice. For Cello with Piano accompaniment Prayer has an atmosphere of intense sadness and inward feeling and the three pieces here are far less linked with virtuosity than with the power of expression and faith.