Ernest Bloch (1880-1959)
Four String Quartets
Griller Quartet
Decca /Original Masters 4756071 [2cds)

This is not a review, just an exuberant hello to the first time on CD
of the Griller Quartet's commanding performances of the first four string
quartets of Ernest Bloch.  Bloch is a wonderful composer from his early
works of a late-romantic and impressionist vein to the neo-classical
world of his more mature compositions.  The 2-cd set is available at
mid-price, and even the local Borders in Albuquerque stocked the disc
(until I bought the sole copy).  It can also be found on sales websites
including ArchivMusic.com.

Of course, Bloch wrote five string quartets, so why didn't the Griller
Quartet record the last one as well?  It wasn't written yet - the
recordings were made in 1954.

Other recent acquisitions that you might find enticing:

Rutland Boughton Chamber Music on Helios
Arnold Bax Orchestral/Vocal Works on Chandos
Alexander Gretchaninov String Quartet No. 3 and Sergei Lyapunov Piano Sextet
on Dutton
Aulis Sallinen Syms. 1 and 7 on Naxos
Ahmed Saygun Syms. 3 and 5 on CPO
Joseph Suk Piano Chamber Works on Hyperion
Cyril Scott Orchestral Works on Chandos
Cyril Scott String Quartets on Dutton
Shostakovich Syms. 5 and 9/Gergiev on Philips (CD and SACD)
Rachmaninov Sym. 2/I. Fischer on Channel Classics (CD and SACD)

Don Satz
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