Previously, he had attended the Stern School of Music in Zurich. Profoundly influenced by the music of China, he established himself as a bookseller in Beijing, where he began a systematic study of all aspects of Chinese music. Between 1933 and 1943 he premiered numerous works, many of them recorded here, and worked to create a musical identity for China distinct from Western influences. He spent the Second World War under house arrest and finally emigrated to the United States in 1947, where he died in 1964. His compositions reflect his diverse background.
Chinese music prevails, but one can also hear American and Russian influences.
The flute is well-suited to the melodies Avshalomoff employs and the delicacy of its tone keeps the orchestration lighter than on some of the other works recorded here. The flute's material seems to float above the orchestra, occasionally entering into a dialog with the oboe or the cor anglais, but never engaging the entire ensemble. Avshalomoff's development is somewhat unorthodox, partly due to the nature of the pentatonic melodies inherent in Chinese music, which, as Jacob Avshalomoff suggests, led the composer to experiment with remote modulations and an episodic structure. The Piano Concerto is at times a bit too busy and overtly romantic. The Violin Concerto , however, is a beautiful work, whose peaceful, centered feeling belies its composition during the Japanese bombardment of Shanghai.