Ernest Bloch (1880 ‑ 1959)
Suite modale
Born in Geneva, Ernest Bloch's roots extended into the canton of Aargau: his father came from Lengnau. The life of the Swiss-American dual citizen, however, made him appear to be a citizen of the world.
Different phases shaped his musical work. Still influenced by late Romanticism and Impressionism, he also experimented with quarter tones and certain works sound abstract. He strove for an ancient Hebrew-Jewish music without using folkloristic stylistic devices.
From the beginning, chamber music was central. In the late works, one hears the confrontation with Johann Sebastian Bach. The baroque movement technique of the Suite modale, composed in 1956, is connected with personal memories of the French impressionist music that had been fashionable during Bloch's apprenticeship in Paris. A mixture of skepticism and hope shines through all the movements. Shortly before his death, he arranged the Suite modale for flute and string orchestra. Ernest Bloch died in 1959 in his adopted home Portland / USA.
