Suzanne Bloch

She only let a few people really see all her many facets. But for those she let in, Suzanne was truly one of the most marvelous of women.

This photo captures Suzanne as I knew and loved her most. To most everyone she normally had a delightful, ever so slightly scatterbrained, seemingly lightheartedly talkative demeanor along with an enormous enthusiasm. But to those who got close, there was no one more soberly together, cooly objective and clear headed. She grew up with people like Einstein and the greats of music and all the arts visiting her home and/or playing chamber music regularly with her and her great composer-father. She was socially at home with all and everyone, including all of the students at Juilliard, whom she made feel relaxed and at home, without being the slightest bit motherly.....quite a feat And when she got serious, it was something magnificent to behold and experience.

Her face was magnificent, with myriad emotional qualities and a rare, calm, peaceful beauty that that permeated a room and readily came alive with wonderful animation and depth of emotion.

These photos were taken in 1962 in her home in NYC for publicity for her concerts of old music. She was in her fifties, had lived through it all, including great family tragedies and burdens, and was still magnificently beautiful in her very special way. I did not photograph many of the musicians I knew well, and I am grateful that I have these photos of Suzanne. The superb Messraster focus of most of these shots capture her expression and manner more precisely and accurately than most photographs could or still can. So I still have her here to remember exactly as I knew her.

What a joy.

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