WMV Music Web Log

Working on the Bloch Piano Quintet - I've performed it with two different groups, over a period of almost 15 years, but it is still intimidating. I've been thinking about what it is about; why it is so hard; and what to do about it.

What it is about - Bloch had undergone a kind of religious conversion, in which his Judaism assumed a central role in his thinking. The Quintet was published in 1922 with a big star of David on the front - I have the original edition, with aunt Thelma's fingerings - she played it, who knows who with, probably soon after it was written. The slow movement tempo indication is Andante mistico - I think he meant mystical, but I don't know what the Italian is supposed to be. There is a kind of insistent repetitious theme throughout the 35 minute work: D-A-D'-A. That's funny, I just went to the Dada show on Saturday. However, I think Bloch's intent was more grandiose: a kind of musical translation of the 4 letter name of G-D, yod hay vov hay. The invocation of this name is also associated with raising of the golem, the frankenstein-superman-savior of the Jewish people. Anyway, pure speculation...

Why is it so hard? One reason is that he makes unreasonable demands - too many notes in too short a time, impossible stretches, breakneck tempos, different meters between the strings and piano that are unsynchronizable. It is a wild and woolly work. But there is something compelling in it that almost makes it possible, seemingly by supernatural means. I would rather not rely on that, however, so I am rewriting the impossible sections. I can make just as much noise with 24 notes as with 36, after all, and they will be more accurate.