Boris Blokh is an outstanding pianist and conductor, teacher, artistic director of the Odesa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, and since 1985, a professor at the Folkwang University of the Arts (Essen-Duisburg).
He was born in the city of Odesa. He graduated from the P.S. Stolyarsky Odesa Specialised Music School. From 1968 he studied at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory, graduating in 1973.
He has won many international competitions, including the New York Young Artists Competition (first prize, 1976) and the F. Busoni International Competition in Bolzano (first prize - Grand Prix Busoni, 1978).
" "Boris is characterised by a generosity of musical talent, brilliant artistry, and a wide range of creative interests. He is a touring musician, an excellent teacher and conductor. An expert in Russian opera classics..." "
- Dmitry Bashkirov
Biography
Childhood.
Boris Bloch was born on 12 February 1951 in Odesa (Ukraine). His father, Emil Vladimirovich Blokh, was an administrator of the Odesa Philharmonic. His mother, Bella Borysivna Kovtynyuk, was a primary school teacher at secondary school No. 120 in Odesa. There were no professional musicians in the family. Borys recalled that at the age of four, he had a great desire to play the piano. He had music lessons twice a week in kindergarten. According to the Maestro, it was his favourite place to spend time. When he came home, he would sit down at the table, put a children's book in front of him, pretend that these were notes and start drumming his fingers on the table as if it were a piano.
Seeing his son's great enthusiasm, his parents bought a small piano and hired a teacher who prepared him for one year to enter the P.S. Stoliarsky School.
Years of study
In 1958, Borys Blokh began his studies at the Odesa Secondary Specialised Music School named after P. Stoliarskyi (class of E. Levinson). At the age of 17, he graduated from the music school, passing the exams for the last two classes at once.
In 1968, the young pianist entered the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatoire (class of Professor Tatiana Petrovna Nikolaieva, and from 1970 the class of Professor Dmitry Alexandrovich Bashkirov) and became the youngest student in his year.
While studying at the Conservatoire, Boris Bloch took an active part in competitions. In 1969 he became a diploma winner of the IV International Schumann Competition (Zwickau), and in 1972 he was awarded the second prize of the All-Union Piano Competition (Minsk).
Concert activity. Participation in festivals and competitions
After graduating from the Conservatory and moving to the United States in 1974, the pianist took part in the International Auditions of the Young Concert Artists[en] concert agency, where he won first place. After this victory, the pianist began an active concert career: successful debut performances in Los Angeles and New York brought Boris Bloch wide recognition. Music critics compared the young performer to such pianists as Vladimir Horowitz and Simon Barer.
In 1976, Volodymyr Horowitz, having listened to Boris Bloch perform works by R. Schumann, F. Liszt, F. Chopin, and S. Rachmaninoff, highly appreciated the young musician's talent and skill. In 1977, another great pianist of our time, Arthur Rubinstein, awarded the artist a silver medal at the International Competition in his name in Tel Aviv. In 1978, the talented pianist won the F. Busoni International Competition in Bolzano, where he was awarded the F. Busoni Prize (First Prize).
Immediately after that, Boris Bloch began active concert activity in different countries of the world, performing with great success in the best halls of Europe and the USA. As a soloist, he performs with leading symphony orchestras in Germany, the USA, Italy, Austria, Romania, and Canada; he collaborates with such prominent conductors as L. Mazel, K. Kondrashin, G. Graf, M. Plasson, Y. Aronovich, K. Eschenbach, A. Fischer, D. Zinman, O. Lazarev, F. Glushchenko, O. Dmitriev, and others.
Boris Bloch is a frequent guest at international music festivals, including Salzburg (Austria) and Berlin (Germany), Lucerne [en] (Switzerland) and Flemish (Belgium), Ruhr Piano Festival, Carinthian Summer in Ossia, Mozart Festival in Salsomaggiore Terme, Festival of Piano Rarities in Khuzum, Varna Summer Festival, Russian School Piano Festival in Freiburg, Rheingau Music Festival, 1st F. Busoni Piano Festival in Bolzano, and the International Piano Festival in Paris. Busoni Piano Festival in Bolzano, the Santander Festival and Liszt's European Night in Weimar, as well as at the festivals of Stresa, Istanbul, Bergamo Brescia, Chopin Festivals in Duszniki, Poland, and Marienbad, Czech Republic. Boris Bloch also participated in such events as: Macedonian "Ohrid Summer", "International Music Weeks" in Sofia, "Outstanding Interpreters" in Bologna, chamber music in Savonlinna, and "Outstanding Students of Dmitri Bashkirov" in St Petersburg, Moscow and Oviedo.
In 1989, for his outstanding contribution to the development of international Lisztiana, Boris Bloch was awarded the Gold Medal of the International Liszt Society in Vienna. In 1990, the Liszt Society in Budapest awarded him the Grand Prix du Disque List for the best recording of the year, and in 2012 the same society awarded him the Honourable Mention for his newest recording of Liszt's works. Maestro Boris Bloch is considered to be one of the most original contemporary interpreters of the works of this great romantic. Some of Boris Bloch's CD recordings are considered to be reference works, in particular, Liszt's operatic paraphrases, which, as already mentioned, won the International Grand Prix in the category of Recordings of Liszt's Music.
In 1997, Public Russian Television (ORT) broadcast a half-hour film portrait of Boris Bloch, and in 1998 he gave a jubilee concert at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory on the occasion of his 25th anniversary.
In the seasons 2000-2001 and 2001-2002, Boris Bloch performed at the Berlin Philharmonic Hall, the L. van Beethoven Concert Hall in Bonn, at the Ruhr Piano Festival (Germany) and the Corinthian Summer Festival (Austria), at the Verdi celebrations at the Teatro Reggio in Parma, at concerts of the International Mozarteum Academy in Salzburg, at the International Competition for Young Pianists in memory of Vladimir Horowitz in Kyiv, at anniversary concerts in the Odesa Philharmonic, and at the Liszt Programme in Weimar, among others.
His recording of piano works by Modest Mussorgsky was awarded the Excellence Disque prize.
Pedagogical activity
In 1985, Boris Bloch moved to Europe with a desire to combine his teaching career with concert performances. He wins a competition to fill the vacant position of Professor of Special Piano at the Folkwang University of Music in Essen (Germany).
It is known that intuition is something that no virtuoso pianist can do without. Boris Emilievich emphasises that intuition is talent, and talent is intuition. "This is the ability of a performer to decipher and feel the composer's intention on their own, as if you were living at the time of writing a particular piece and the composer shared with you their emotions, the feelings they had at the time of writing. This is intuitive. But intellectual preparation is essential. If you don't develop as a person, as a musician, then intuition stops helping at some point, it simply doesn't exist anymore. A logical and rational approach is also important for a performer. Without logic, correct performance is not possible, because in this case, there are only feelings that are not interesting at all, because they become artificial, to some extent even exalted, exaggerated. You have feelings only when they are based on something, namely an entire artistic concept, which must be rationally comprehended and logically verified. Only then does the emotionality come into play, with which the performer must captivate the audience. This emotionality is very intellectual, it is not blind" [Electronic resource]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dktet0Am5O8 [Archived 6 April 2017].
He pays great attention to the work on the culture of sound and sound production, on the details of pedalling, fingering, dynamics, as well as on the sense of form and style.
Conducting activity
Boris Bloch is also known as a conductor. His love for opera began in his early childhood, and later he had a great desire to realise his potential as a conductor and director of opera performances.
Boris Emilievich says: "I have always known and felt that musical theatre was my passion, but at first I considered becoming an opera director, travelled to Leningrad, talked to Jan Fried, a director of popular musical films, and planned to study with him at the Leningrad State Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinematography. It was only in 1991 that I began my conducting studies. In 1993, I was invited to the position of musical director of the Odesa State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, and worked in this position from 1993 to 1995." [Electronic resource] - Accessed at http://dumskaya.net/news/ot-royaliny-do-opernoj-sceny-boris-bloh-ob-opasn-049431/ [Archived 4 March 2017].
It was thanks to Borys Bloch that in 1994 the first tour of the theatre's opera company to Italy took place: the opera "The Maiden of Orleans" by Tchaikovsky was staged at the Carlo Felice Theatre in Genoa (conductor and director Borys Bloch, stage director Iryna Molostova, production designer Natalia Bevzenko-Zinkina). At a major music festival in Perugia, the oratorio "Christ on the Mount of Olives" by L. van Beethoven was performed in Terni and a symphony concert of works by M. Mussorgsky took place. During the theatre's tour to Brussels and Piraeus, Boris Bloch conducted Mussorgsky's opera Boris Godunov.
In Odesa, it staged new productions of Tchaikovsky's "The Maiden of Orleans" (directed by People's Artist of Ukraine, Professor Iryna Molostova), Rachmaninoff's "Aleko", Mozart and Salieri by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and the restoration of the original version of Mussorgsky's "Rural Honour" by Igor Shavruk. Rimsky-Korsakov, P. Mascagni's La Rustiche d'honneur, as well as the restoration of the original version of Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, created by Igor Shavruk in collaboration with director Artur Pochakivsky.
Boris Bloch conducts in Italy (the Arturo Toscanini Orchestra in Parma), Austria, Germany, Russia, Ukraine and many other countries. His conducting repertoire includes all operas by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Mussorgsky, as well as many works by Mozart, van Beethoven, Brahms, Verdi, Puccini, Rachmaninoff and others.
"Bloch has the exceptional qualities of a true opera conductor. He truly loves the singers with all their weaknesses and is able to dissolve into them and confidently lead them. In our joint masterclasses in Salzburg, Boris showed a real understanding of the Russian operatic style, bringing his own interpretation to the scores of famous operas." "
- Halyna Vyshnevska.
On 1 December 2014, by the Order of the Minister of Culture of Ukraine No. 717/0/17-14, Boris Bloch was appointed Artistic Director of the Odesa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre.
The way he plays the piano
"In the class of Dmitry Alexandrovich Bashkirov, I acquired invaluable skills of pedalisation, touche, a sense of the form and drama of a work, stylistic diversity and the associated ability to approach each style with the necessary authority. And if I owe a lot of the stylistic subtleties of performing Chopin's works to Alexander Eidelman (O. L. Eidelman lived for many years in Lviv, where his favourite pupil Karol Mikuli taught for almost 40 years), then D. O. Bashkirov, first of all, we studied L. van Beethoven and all Viennese classics in general, as well as F. Liszt and S. Prokofiev, R. Schumann, J. Brahms and S. Rachmaninoff" [Electronic resource]: http://dumskaya.net/news/ot-royaliny-do-opernoj-sceny-boris-bloh-ob-opasn-049431/ [Archived 4 March 2017].
Boris Emilievich is characterised by a deep, thoughtful performance, which is distinguished by a special individual interpretation. The maestro himself calls himself a representative of the Russian piano school, considering it the best in the world. He has a huge repertoire, and the pianist prefers pieces that are "unplayed" - those that are not often performed.
Today, his playing combines stylistic rigour with romantic spirituality, and the refinement of the piano attack with a broad imagination. His performances are characterised by a well-built drama and a subtle sense of all orchestral colours.
Training courses, masterclasses and participation in the jury of competitions
Boris Bloch regularly serves on the juries of world-renowned piano competitions, and in 2006 he was Artistic Director and Chairman of the Jury of the 1st Carl Bechstein International Piano Competition.
He also gives masterclasses at prestigious summer music academies, including the Mozarteum (Salzburg, Austria), the Franz Liszt Academy (Weimar, Germany) and the Santander Academy (Spain).
Discography.
Live in München (Beethovens Sonate op. 10 No. 2, Liszt-Busonis Figaros Hochzeit, Werke von Rachmaninow und Busoni), Deutsche Grammophon, 1979
Robert Schumann: Phantasiestücke op. 12, Sonate f-Moll op. 14 Concert sans Orchestre, Agorá Musica, 1982
Busoni: Klavierkonzert op. 39 mit dem Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich under Christoph Eschenbach, Klavierstücke (Doppel-LP), Aperto, 1985
Liszt: 5 Paraphrases D´Opéras Italiens (Bellini - Donizetti - Verdi), Accord, 1988
Internationaler Pianisten-Wettbewerb Ferruccio Busoni Bozen - 30 Jahre Klaviergeschichte (Liszts Rhapsodie Espagnole), Nuova Era 6719-DM, 1988
Raritäten der Klaviermusik 1989, Danacord DACOCD 349, 1990
Raritäten der Klaviermusik 1991, Danacord DACOCD 389, 1992
Raritäten der Klaviermusik 2004, Danacord DACOCD 649, 2005
Mussorgski: Oeuvre intégrale pour piano (Doppel-CD), Accord, 1992
Harenberg Klaviermusikführer (Busonis Turandots Frauengemach), Deutsche Grammophon, 1998
Boris Bloch at the Great Hall of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory (Mozarts Klavierkonzert KV 537Krönungskonzert, Tchaikovskis Klavierkonzert Nr. 3 op. 75 and 79 mit allen drei Sätzen, Liszts Spanische Rhapsodie in der Fassung mit Orchester von Busoni, jeweils mit dem Moskauer Philharmonischen Orchester under Mark Gorenstein) (DVD), Bohème, 2002
Boris Bloch Plays Liszt - Live Recordings 2002, Bohème, 2004
Piano works vol. 1: Franz Liszt Sarabande und Chaconne aus dem Singspiel Almira von G.-F. Händel 6 große Etüden nach Paganini in der Fassung von F. Busoni Tarantella de Dargomijski Fantasie über 2 Motive aus Mozarts «Figaros Hochzeit», vollendet von F. Busoni; (Ratingen: Annette Schumacher, 2011)
Piano works vol. 2: Ludwig van Beethoven CD 1 Sonate c-Moll op.13 Grande Sonate Pathétique Sonate cis-Moll, op.27/2 Sonata quasi una fantasia — Mondschein Sonate f-Moll op.57Appassionata CD 2 Sonate C-Dur, op. 53 Waldstein Fantasie op. 77 32 Variationen c-Moll WoO 80 Sonate F-Dur op. 10/2 (Ratingen: Annette Schumacher, 2011)
Piano works vol. 3: Frédéric Chopin: (Live-Mitschnitt der Chopinmatinée zum 200. Geburtstag von Frédéric Chopin, 14. Februar 2010, Alfried-Krupp-Saal der Philharmonie Essen) (Ratingen: Annette Schumacher, 2012)
Piano works vol. 4: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Fantasie c-Moll, KV 396 Sonate F-Dur, KV 332 Sonatensatz B-Dur, KV 400 Sonate F-Dur, KV 280 Sonate F-Dur, KV 547a Fantasie c-Moll, KV 475 (Ratingen: Annette Schumacher, 2013)
Piano works vol. 5: Sergej Rachmaninov CD 1 Dix Préludes op. 23 (1901-02) (Live-Aufnahme im März 2005, Wilhelm-Lehmbruck-Museum, Duisburg) Etudes-Tableaux op. 33 (1910-11) (Live-Aufnahme am 18. Mai 1988, Teatro Grande di Brescia) CD 2 Morceaux de Fantaisie op. 3 (1893) (Aufgenommen im Mai 2007, Tonstudio der Folkwang Hochschule) Konzert für Klavier und Orchester Nr. 3 d-Moll op. 30 (1909) (Orchester der Folkwang Hochschule, Dirigent David de Villier, Live-Aufnahme am 31. Januar 2001, Neue Aula der Folkwang Hochschule) (Ratingen: Annette Schumacher, 2013)
Piano works vol. 6: Domenico Scarlatti, Klaviersonaten C-Dur K 514, f-Moll K 19, Fis-Dur K 319, G-Dur 146, G-Dur K 470, G-Dur K 547, h-Moll K 27, D-Dur K 491, D-Dur K 492, d-Moll K 1, E-Dur K 380, E-Dur K 381, E-Dur K 20, a-Moll K 54, a-Moll K 3, e-Moll K 394 & G-Dur K 454. (Ratingen: Annette Schumacher, 2013)
Franz Liszt, Live at the Liszt Festival Raiding, Burgenland, Austria (зібрання творів з шести дисків) CD 1 Années de pèlerinage, première année — Suisse, S 160 CD 2 Années de pèlerinage, deuxième année — Italie, S 161 CD 3 Venezia e Napoli, supplément aux Années de pèlerinage, deuxième année — Italie, S 162 Années de pèlerinage, troisième année (Pèlerinage religieux), S 163 CD 4 Paraphrasen nach Opern von Händel, Wagner und polnischen Liedern von Chopin CD 5 Harmonies poétiques et religieuses S 173 CD 6 Kleine Zyklen (Gramola, 2015)
