# Bloch Concerto Grosso 1&2



## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

I don't own any recordings of these pieces, and I'd like to rectify that. I've listened a couple of versions on Spotify, but I can't bring up the Hanson recording on Mercury, and I was wondering where it fits in the discography of these two pieces


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

You can sample the disk at Presto Classical. The tempo taken for _Prelude_ (#1) is abnormally fast, IMO wasting some of the movement's dramatic potential. Strings also tend to sound artificial.

My recommendation for #1 would be Alan Heatherington - Chicago String Ensemble (David Schrader, pf).

(#2 is not nearly as masterful as its predecessor; I do not have it in my collection.)


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Portamento said:


> You can sample the disk at Presto Classical. The tempo taken for _Prelude_ (#1) is abnormally fast, IMO wasting some of the movement's dramatic potential. Strings also tend to sound artificial.
> 
> My recommendation for #1 would be Alan Heatherington - Chicago String Ensemble (David Schrader, pf).
> 
> (#2 is not nearly as masterful as its predecessor; I do not have it in my collection.)


I'll have to listen to the Heatherington, as the recorded quality of the quite old Hanson is mediocre at best. I find the #2 quite pleasant but agree that it is not nearly as striking as the #1.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

After a few more listening son Spotify that is the conclusion (relative merits of the two works) that I reached as well.
The Hanson sounds not worth the investment, and it's a pricey recording.
David Schrader regularly performs on our local Chicago Classical Station, WFMT. I'm wondering if that performance is from a radio broadcast
I just looked up the Schrader disc. The title of the album is "Israeli Melodies." To my knowledge, Bloch, who was born in Switzerland, died in Oregon, and lived and taught in Cleveland for decades, never lived in Israel. He did write "Jewish themed" music, but I wouldn't put the Concerti Grosso in that category. Oh, well


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