Ernest Bloch - Piano Works Vol. 2 (István Kassai)

Information

Composer: Ernest Bloch

• Ex-voto
• Piano Sonata
• Danse sacrée
• Visions and Prophecies

István Kassai, piano

Date: 1991

Label: Marco Polo

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Ernest Bloch (July 24, 1880 – July 15, 1959) was a Swiss-born American composer known for blending post-Romantic and neoclassical styles with Jewish musical themes. He studied in Switzerland and Belgium, taught at the Geneva Conservatory, and moved to the U.S. in 1916. Bloch became the first director of the Cleveland Institute of Music and later led the San Francisco Conservatory. He taught at UC Berkeley until retiring in 1952. Bloch's compositions, influenced by Debussy, Mahler, and Ravel, include Schelomo, Baal Shem, Avodath Hakodesh, Concerto Grosso No. 1, and Israel Symphony, among others.

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István Kassai (born 26 March 1959) is a Hungarian pianist. He graduated from the Franz Liszt Academy and later earned a second diploma in Paris under Yvonne Lefébure. Kassai studied with masters like Georges Cziffra and won several competitions, including the Debussy Competition (1982). He received prestigious awards such as the Ferenc Liszt Prize (2001) and became a member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts in 2013. Kassai recorded complete piano works of several composers and premiered many rare pieces. He has also published numerous articles and editing sheet music by notable composers.

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