1897-1899

BLOCH’S STUDIES IN BRUSSELS

January-September 1897:  Composed little pieces for piano, for violin and piano and some melodies.

Fall 1897:  Leaves Geneva to go to Brussels to study violin with Eugene Ysaÿe and Franz Schörg, while also studying composition with François Rasse.

Summer 1898:  On vacation in Geneva, he composes songs, little chamber music pieces and starts a symphonic poem, the Orientale.

Fall 1898:  Back in Brussels he finishes the Orientale in October 1898 as well as a Poem For Violin and Orchestra in December 1898.  Plays a score for violin-piano of this work before Ysaÿe and Rasse.

Spring 1899:  The more he studies, the more he persuades himself the future is the school of Franck, it’s the Young French School (of Indy, Debussy, Chausson).

March 1899:  Changes the Poem for Violin to make it into a Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (unpublished) which he plays with Rasse in Rasse’s  score for violin-piano.

Summer 1899:  Takes advantage of his vacation to compose.  In July 1899 he finishes his Dances-Populaires for Orchestra which will never be published but the “theme of the Gruyère” will be unconsciously incorporated into his first Concerto Grosso.

Fall 1899:  Family and sentimental dramas.  He cracks!  For two months he takes a cure at Schoenbrunn bei Zug where they treat all nervous illnesses.  Having regained his strength he decides on the advice of his teacher Jaques-Dalcroze to continue his studies at Frankfurt with the Professor Iwan Knorr.