Hyperion Records

Suite No 2 for solo violin comprises four movements, played without pauses: Energico, deciso; Moderato; Andante; Allegro molto. The improvisatory character of the opening movement recalls some of the material heard in certain impassioned passages in Baal Shem. The second movement, a gentle dance in compound time, with a striking chordal section as its centrepiece, is followed by a warm, lyrical Andante. The serene mood is shattered by the dissonant opening of the finale, which heralds a pounding perpetuum mobile full of repeated notes, broken chords and wide leaps.

Aside from frequently shifting tonal centres, occasional flirtations with serialism, and abrupt changes of tempo and dynamics, Bloch’s intention here was not to experiment with modern techniques, but rather to extend the ethos of the eighteenth century into the language of his own epoch.

from notes by Alexander Knapp © 2007