Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1

aligreto · April 09, 2016, 07:05:35 AM

Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26, eclipsed all else he did, even in his own lifetime. It is a wonderful work and one that I enjoy immensely.

The first movement is unusual in that it is a Vorspiel, a prelude, to the second movement and is directly linked to it. I love the way that this is almost a curtain raiser to the grand operatic aria-like slow movement and how the Vorspiel has the embryonic seeds of the great slow movement theme that blossom into such a powerful, poignant melody. The virtuosic passages in the energized and dance infused finale are also wonderful to listen to.

Versions of this work in my collection:

Chung + Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Kempe [Decca]
Chung + London Philharmonic Orchestra / Tennstedt [EMI]
Little + Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra / Handley [Classics for Pleasure]
Menuhin + Philharmonia Orchestra / Susskind [EMI]
Perlman + Concertgebouw Orchestra / Haitink [EMI]
Suk + Czech Philharmonic Orchestra / Ancerl [Supraphon]

I am conscious of the fact that I do not have a more recent performance of the work in my collection. Is there a really worthwhile one available? I would be eager to see your recommendations for this work and to see what your favourite performances are.

North Star · April 09, 2016, 09:42:05 AM

Gluzman on BIS comes to mind.

[asin]B004UBB3UG[/asin]

And I have fond memories of Stern, too.

[asin]B000JCDSFI[/asin]

aligreto · April 09, 2016, 10:52:21 AM

Thank you for those recommendations Karlo.

Scion7 · April 09, 2016, 12:33:25 PM

I actually enjoyed this Perlman version a bit more:

Of course, in this master's hands:

. . . which you can get with the new "Living Presence" CD edition.

By the way, the Suk is fantastic. What a musician!

The finales of the first concerto, and the Scottish Fantasy, are both superb.

Jo498 · April 09, 2016, 01:14:42 PM

That Perlman/Previn Cover is priceless... Seventies forever!
I am not sure I ever bought a recording of this piece on purpose. It always came as a filler to something else...

XB-70 Valkyrie · April 09, 2016, 06:27:00 PM

That Bruch Cto. is one of the greatest Heifetz performances ever, IMO. Also, check out Ricardo Odnoposoff.

This is the version I have:

Florestan · April 10, 2016, 12:34:02 AM

Lots of excellent recs so far. This is also very good:

NB: it´s a vynil "made in DDR". I bought it in 1987, I think.

Scion7 · April 10, 2016, 01:12:42 AM

Philips packaged up all the Salvatore Accardo versions of Bruch works in a double-CD economy priced issue.
I got rid of all the LP's I had when I bought it to save space.

(they also did the same thing with all the Bruch orchestral works they had released)

aligreto · April 10, 2016, 01:44:21 AM

Quote from: Scion7 on April 09, 2016, 12:33:25 PM
I actually enjoyed this Perlman version a bit more:

Of course, in this master's hands:

. . . which you can get with the new "Living Presence" CD edition.

By the way, the Suk is fantastic. What a musician!

The finales of the first concerto, and the Scottish Fantasy, are both superb.

Thank you for both recommendations.
That is interesting about your preference for the Perlman/Previn performance.

I 100% agree with you regarding Suk. I have a number of recordings which feature him.

Of course the Scottish Fantasy is not to be forgotten here as it too is a wonderful work and a strong recommendation for those who might not have heard it yet.

aligreto · April 10, 2016, 01:45:23 AM

Quote from: Jo498 on April 09, 2016, 01:14:42 PM
That Perlman/Previn Cover is priceless... Seventies forever!

It sure is

aligreto · April 10, 2016, 01:47:40 AM

Quote from: XB-70 Valkyrie on April 09, 2016, 06:27:00 PM
That Bruch Cto. is one of the greatest Heifetz performances ever, IMO. Also, check out Ricardo Odnoposoff.

This is the version I have:

Another strong recommendation for Heifitz; thank you.
I must confess that I have not heard of Ricardo Odnoposoff.

aligreto · April 10, 2016, 01:50:38 AM

Quote from: Florestan on April 10, 2016, 12:34:02 AM
Lots of excellent recs so far. This is also very good:

NB: it´s a vynil "made in DDR". I bought it in 1987, I think.

Thank you for that recommendation. Accardo is another violinist that I have a number of recordings of so I know what to expect there.
Vinyl is absolutely not a problem; I have quite a bit of the black stuff

aligreto · April 10, 2016, 01:52:55 AM

Quote from: Scion7 on April 10, 2016, 01:12:42 AM
Philips packaged up all the Salvatore Accardo versions of Bruch works in a double-CD economy priced issue.
I got rid of all the LP's I had when I bought it to save space.

(they also did the same thing with all the Bruch orchestral works they had released)

Thank you indeed for that one as I must confess that I do not have the other Bruch Violin Concertos in my collection

Jo498 · April 10, 2016, 01:59:08 AM

The nextmost popular is the Scottish fantasy, I don't think I ever heard the 2nd Vc, the 3rd is on Brahms' scale and somewhat longish. The young Chloe Hanslip has it on a disc with the 1st. The only complete one (or at least the best known) ist still Accardo/Masur.

Que · April 10, 2016, 07:25:10 AM

My favourite is an oldy as well, besides the Goldmark concerto, Nathan Milstein owns this Bruch concerto IMO.
I prefer the recording with Leon Barzin, the conducting by Steinberg is uninspired....Milstein's 1st recording with Barbirolli on 78 rpms (1942) is also really good.

Another, a more odd and very personal favourite, is Igor Oistrakh with David conducting. More heavy handed and less elegant than the Milstein but gutsy and sentimental just for the sake of it...

[asin]B00007GXMQ[/asin]
[asin]B001BSH0SU[/asin]

BTW I have really bad memories of the complete set by Salvatore Accardo. Hey, a complete set!, I thought in my late teens.
Back home, it turned into a huge dissapointment. My, that is some but ugly violin playing...

Must be one of my wordt violin purchases ever, sorry guys....

Q

Brian · April 10, 2016, 07:31:45 AM

Quote from: Jo498 on April 10, 2016, 01:59:08 AMThe young Chloe Hanslip has it on a disc with the 1st. The only complete one (or at least the best known) ist still Accardo/Masur.

There is a Naxos series with Maxim Fedotov that also includes even rarer odds and ends. The Second Concerto is actually pretty interesting (and is definitely Fedotov's best performance in the series - he is not totally reliable) - it has a slow recitative and fast finale which boldly share a theme. I like it. (EDIT: I see James Ehnes recorded Concerto No. 2 with the Scottish Fantasy. That might be the perfect CD for aligreto!)

My favorite music by Max Bruch is the chamber music he wrote right before he died, quintets and octet, especially this CD, which is my most-played Bruch CD:

[asin]B00000IMG6[/asin]

aligreto · April 10, 2016, 09:04:13 AM

Quote from: Que on April 10, 2016, 07:25:10 AM
My favourite is an oldy as well, besides the Goldmark concerto, Nathan Milstein owns this Bruch concerto IMO.
I prefer the recording with Leon Barzin, the conducting by Steinberg is uninspired....Milstein's 1st recording with Barbirolli on 78 rpms (1942) is also really good.

Another, a more odd and very personal favourite, is Igor Oistrakh with David conducting. More heavy handed and less elegant than the Milstein but gutsy and sentimental just for the sake of it...

[asin]B00007GXMQ[/asin]
[asin]B001BSH0SU[/asin]

BTW I have really bad memories of the complete set by Salvatore Accardo. Hey, a complete set!, I thought in my late teens.
Back home, it turned into a huge dissapointment. My, that is some but ugly violin playing...
Must be one of my wordt violin purchases ever, sorry guys....

Q

Thank you for those Que.
I do have one or two performances by Milstein so that could be interesting all right.

Interesting comments on the Accardo set.

aligreto · April 10, 2016, 09:06:22 AM

Quote from: Brian on April 10, 2016, 07:31:45 AM
There is a Naxos series with Maxim Fedotov that also includes even rarer odds and ends. The Second Concerto is actually pretty interesting (and is definitely Fedotov's best performance in the series - he is not totally reliable) - it has a slow recitative and fast finale which boldly share a theme. I like it. (EDIT: I see James Ehnes recorded Concerto No. 2 with the Scottish Fantasy. That might be the perfect CD for aligreto!)

My favorite music by Max Bruch is the chamber music he wrote right before he died, quintets and octet, especially this CD, which is my most-played Bruch CD:

[asin]B00000IMG6[/asin]

Thank you for the comments Brian, and especially for the chamber music CD which looks most interesting.

Scion7 · April 10, 2016, 11:32:54 AM

Speaking of Salvatore Accardo's masterful playing, I will start the "thread decay" with another recommendation for you:

While this CD collection is available and consists of the same performances -

- this is one of those sets that the packaging on vinyl really makes it more special to pick up in that format -

The only complaint was, the individual DG album releases often had extra cuts like The Witches, which you don't get on either
set.

Back to Bruch!

aligreto · April 10, 2016, 02:24:02 PM

Quote from: Scion7 on April 10, 2016, 11:32:54 AM
Speaking of Salvatore Accardo's masterful playing, I will start the "thread decay" with another recommendation for you:

While this CD collection is available and consists of the same performances -

- this is one of those sets that the packaging on vinyl really makes it more special to pick up in that format -

The only complaint was, the individual DG album releases often had extra cuts like The Witches, which you don't get on either
set.

Back to Bruch!

Ah, temptation by way of beautifully packaged vinyl - so hard to resist but I still thank you for the recommendation.

Do not worry about thread decay with me. I am Irish so conversational deviation is a way of life