Expert: David Froom - 12/16/2005

Question
Do you know the source of the following quotation from Bloch?

"I do not propose or desire to attempt a reconstruction of the music of the Jews . . . or to base my work on melodies more or less authentic. I am not an archaeologist. I believe that the most important thing is to write good and sincere music--my music. It is rather the Hebrew spirit that interests me, the complex, ardent, agitated soul that vibrates for me in the Bible. The vigor . . . of the Patriarchs, the violence . . . in the books of the Prophets, the burning love of justice . . . the sorrow and the grandeur of the Book of Job, the sensuality of the Song of Songs. All this is in us, all this is in me, and it is the better part of me."

At one time, I knew, but my personal library was destroyed in the New Orleans flood.

Thanks.

Answer
I took a search for this.  I found it quoted a lot, but never attributed.  I did find it in one scholarly article.  That article had it footnooted as follows:

This oft-quoted passage is found, for example, in the Encyclopaedia Judaica article on Ernest Bloch (Vol. 4 [Jerusalem, 1974], p. 1098)

I guess that's the best that author could do.  I wish I could help more.  I hope this helps.

David Froom