| The purpose of this paper is to describe the change in Ernest Bloch's musical style between 1910 and 1929. His Jewish heritage was a great source of inspiration for his compositions throughout his lifetime, many of which include elements of Jewish melodies and rhythms and use Biblical and descriptive titles. This is especially true of the large orchestral works of the 1910s written when he was still living in Switzerland.;After Bloch came to the United Sates in 1916, his musical style gradually began to change. During the 1920s his role in the classical music field motivated him to accept and apply modern techniques and ambiguous tonalities to his abstractly titled compositions. As a professor and a leader in various music schools, including the David Mannes School, Cleveland Institute of Music, and the San Francisco Conservatory, he composed smaller ensemble works rather than large orchestral works in order for his music to be accessible to students.;The paper examines the general stylistic traits of Bloch in this period and discusses, through an analysis of melodic and rhythmic motives and an outline of his application of modern techniques, how his style changed most in his compositions. In conclusion, it suggests possible reasons for this stylistic change. |
