Music in Exile Vol. 8: Chamber Works by Frederick Block

Frederick Block (1899-1945) was on the brink of an auspicious European career when his future was shattered by the Nazi’s annexation of Austria in 1938. His brief exile in New York was tortured by recurring premonitions of his imminent death, which prompted a resolute quest to set down as many works as possible in the time he had left. On June 1, 1945, the premonitions fulfilled their promise, and his extraordinary legacy has remained unexplored since his death. For the eighth of its highly regarded “Music in Exile” recordings for Chandos, the ARC Ensemble (Artists of the Royal Conservatory) turns its attention to this forgotten Viennese émigré.