Ernest Bloch - Symphony in C sharp minor; Schelomo (Lev Markiz; Torleif Thedéen)

Information

Composer: Ernest Bloch

• Symphony in C sharp minor
• Schelomo, Hebrew Rhapsody for solo cello & large orchestra

Torleif Thedéen, cello

Malmö Symphony Orchestra

Lev Markiz, conductor

Date: 1993

Label: BIS

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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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Lev Markiz (1 November 1930 – 4 April 2023) was a Soviet-Russian violinist and conductor. He studied with Yuri Yankelevich, Maria Yudina and Kirill Kondrashin. From 1955 to 1964, he was concertmaster of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra before founding the acclaimed Moscow Soloists, producing around 70 recordings. After emigrating to the Netherlands in 1981, he became principal conductor of Nieuw Sinfonietta Amsterdam in 1988. In 1997, he took over the Chamber Orchestra of Geneva and remained active internationally. One of his final notable recordings was a 2004 release of Shostakovich's chamber symphonies.

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The Swedish Cellist, Torleif Thedéen, gained international recognition in 1985 by winning three of the worlds most prestigious cello competitions: the Hammer-Rostropowitsch, the Pablo-Casals and the European Broadcasting Union's International Tribune. Since then Torleif Thedéen has been giving concerts all over the world, and he is one of the most highly regarded musicians in Scandinavia. Thedéen is also active as a chamber musician, and as such appears in prestigious concert venues worldwide. Since 1986 he has recorded numerous CD’s for BIS, featuring standard repertoire as well as contemporary music.

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