I had never heard of this composer before, but I picked this up as part of Amazon's 4-for-3 deal:
(http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/51AQCM831KL._AA240_.jpg)
I'm generally not a big fan of violin to begin with, but Tasmin Little convinces me here on the Scottish Fantasy, so much that I've just put in an order for Little's reading of the violin concerto on the same label. ;D
I think you will like Bruch. Of course, his 2 big, famous pieces are the Scottish Fantasia and the g minor Violin Concerto #1. But he wrote some nice chamber music & some good symphonies. The 2 instruments that really resonate with me from his pen are his works featuring cello and clarinet, together or separately. If you care to explore more, have a look around and see what is available. If you find them, the 3 adagios and the canzone for cello are very fine. Also his 8 Pieces for Clarinet Trio Op 83. You won't be disappointed in any of these works. :)
8)
Quote from: tjguitar on May 17, 2007, 03:56:09 PM
I had never heard of this composer before..........................
TJ - like a number of other composers,
Bruch often is 'pigeon-holed' into the category of 'one-work' composers, but I've discovered that he has more to offer. The recordings that I have of him currently are shown below:
Violin Concertos, Complete, & Scottish Fantasy w/ Accardo & Masur - excellent 2-CD bargin, but the Conc. No. 1 & Scottish Fantasy are his 'one-work' compositions - plenty of competition here; BTW, this comin' Sunday I'm goin' to a concert w/ Midori playing the Bruch No. 1 - looking forward to that one! :D
Clarinet & Viola Works - orchestral & chamber works - quite enjoyable & cheap!
String Octet, Quintet, & Piano Quintet - excellent CPO label - almost 80 mins. of wonderful chamber music!
Symphony No. 3 & Suite on Russian Themes - just exploring Bruch's more orchestral works!
(http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/41B56P8JPPL._AA240_.jpg) (http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21V1K8G1QKL._AA180_.jpg)
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Chandos has also a few very good recordings from his violin concertos, and Symphonies, which I bought a few years ago.
The CPO Dave is mentioning is also a very good one.
His Concerto for Clarinet, Viola and Orchestra is one of the finest works in musical history. Although he is not among the greatest composers, when considering his whole output, this work soars gently and melodically into very high levels of true greatness. It does not have the reputation it deserves. I heartily recommend it to anyone who likes Bruch!
Lalo is good.
Just posted a question about the
Bruch Symphonies in the 'Listening Thread' (quoted below) - likely will get 'buried' soon there, so just wanted to reactivate this rather short & dormant discussion - the guy wrote some excellent violin works and Jewish-related compositions - hopefully some further comments will be added - :)
QuoteBruch's Symphonies - worth owning? All opinions welcomed! :)
Now, I own a nice Bruch collection but as to the Symphonies, just No. 3 on Naxos - mixed reviews (an older Marco Polo recording from the late 1980s); Brian has 'axed' the first two Symphonies, so is this guy's symphonic output worth exploring?
There are a couple of 'bargain' 2-CD sets of the three Symphonies shown below - one set w/ Kurt Masur and the other w/ James Conlon & Antal Dorati - 4+/5* ratings both on Amazon - cheap and in single-size jewel boxes - comments please from those who have heard these recordings - :)
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Masur Conlon and Honeck are in my opinion not the recordings to go for. All are sluggishly played, mediocre recorded, and frankly doing no service to the music at all. And yes the music is beautiful and well worth having. The best I heard so far are the Chandos recording under the baton of Hickox, albeit not complete.
BRUCH Das Lied von der Glocke, op. 45 will please you if you are fond of Mendelssohn-like big choral pieces (SATB Chorus Orch. & Organ)
Quote from: SonicMan on March 31, 2010, 03:54:46 PM
Just posted a question about the Bruch Symphonies in the 'Listening Thread' (quoted below) - likely will get 'buried' soon there, so just wanted to reactivate this rather short & dormant discussion - the guy wrote some excellent violin works and Jewish-related compositions - hopefully some further comments will be added - :)
Having now finished all three symphonies (Masur conducting), I can give them a big romantic thumbs up. Strangely, I think I preferred the first two over the third. Great melodies throughout and very enjoyable music all around. If you are not into the romantic period, then perhaps the reaction would not be as positive. This is definitely not Mahler or Bruckner in quality, but still well constructed music that should provide enjoyment. The fillers on these discs are also excellent.
Deeply moving/great music:
1. Romance for viola and orchestra-one of music's most moving slow melodies
2. Kol Nidrei-on Hebrew Themes for Cello and orchestra
Lighter but fun:
Concerto for 2 pianos-sparliking; tune after tune
Scottish fantasy.
I often find him more convincing in his slow movements where he often writes lovely, memorable, sometimes brooding melodies; though there is the (quite) famous Brahmsian big theme in the finale of the Second Symphony; and, of course, THE (1st) VC is PERFECT.
Steve Benson
Thanks all for your comments on the Bruch Symphonies - Masur seems to be the 'best' choice for a complete set, but not always receiving high marks from all - may just 'hold off' for a while; plenty of other composers to hear & collect! :D
I have the earlier incarnation of the Conlon /Cologne recordings of the symphonies on a two CD EMI set, and the performances are not at all"sluggish" or badly recorded. In fact, they're quite vivacious and spirited.
I like these symphonies a lot. They would make a welcome change from the same old Brahms symphonies, wonderful as those are, but which have been played to death at concerts.
How about it , maestros Alan Gilbert,Neeme Jarvi, Gerard Schwarz, Paavo Jarvi, andother conductors who champion the lesser-known works of the orchestral repertoire? Let's have some live performaances of the Bruch symphonies for a change !
I also have the recording of the "Song of the Bell" and like it very much.
Bruch's less familiar works seem to be having something of a renaiisance on recordings, but not live, for some reason. There's more to this fine composer than the G minor violin concerto.
Quote from: Superhorn on April 01, 2010, 02:53:34 PMThey would make a welcome change from the same old Brahms symphonies, wonderful as those are, but which have been played to death at concerts.
That's like saying cool-aid makes a welcome change from Pinot Noir.
Friedrich Kleinhapl Strikes With Bruch
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http://www.weta.org/fmblog/?p=3226 (http://www.weta.org/fmblog/?p=3226)
The James Ehnes account of the Scottish Fantasy is really special. I am really starting to marvel at Bruch's music.
Quote from: SonicMan46 on May 17, 2007, 06:00:48 PM
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This chamber music CD is utterly wonderful, and it has me thinking, after my mainly negative encounter with the symphonies (I found them dull), that there is a lot more Bruch for me to discover and love. Besides the chamber works featured here, I am also a big admirer of the concerto for clarinet, viola and orchestra, and all three of the violin concertos.
Quote from: Brian on February 01, 2013, 06:44:25 AM
This chamber music CD is utterly wonderful, and it has me thinking, after my mainly negative encounter with the symphonies (I found them dull)
Dull? Even the Third? I've been listening to it today as background music and the Scherzo gripped my attention to the point of being spellbound. :D His VCs and Scottish Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra are real gems IMO. And so is his 1st SQ. :D
Quote from: Florestan on February 01, 2013, 09:00:22 AM
Dull? Even the Third? I've been listening to it today as background music and the Scherzo gripped my attention to the point of being spellbound. :D His VCs and Scottish Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra are real gems IMO. And so is his 1st SQ. :D
Well, okay, I only heard the First and Second symphonies.
Even if you previously thought of him as a one-hit wonder, you must realize that the one hit did not come from nowhere. A bad composer does not suddenly become great in a few months period and not the rest of his life.
Love the choral stuff first and foremost.
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Bruch. Symphony no.2.
A contrast of mood set against a change in orchestral colour rather than tempo. When a composer writes Allegro ma non troppo, it's open to a wide range of interpretation. James Conlon appears absolutely clear in his mind regarding the quality of the music, and how he wanted it played , particularly in matters of tempo, which, with instrumental balance, can make or break 19th century German orchestral repertoire.
Great artists are usually pretty uniformly great; good ones pretty uniformly good and great maybe once or twice in their lives if they get lucky. Artists who produce a good number of great works, as Bruch did, scraping the bottom edge of genius, and a good number of mediocre ones, are very uncommon. Bruch was a master of the Adagio. Bruch,who lived from 1838 to 1920, quite a long and productive life, and only the first violin concerto is performed with any frequency. I seem to like everything Bruch wrote. I adore the violin concertos along with the Scottish Fantasy. Bruch's slow movements are swarming with the lyricism of Schumann and Brahms.
I LOVE the 2nd movement of his Second Symphony in f minor. IMHO the symphonies may rank with the very greatest ever written, but who cares ? On their own terms, they're appealingly melodious, lively and straightforward works, in the Mendelssohian tradition. They're a sort of more robust and heavily scored Mendelssohn, but with Bruch's own distinctive personal stamp. Of the many works by Last night I listened to my excellent two CD set of the three symphonies of Max Bruch,with James Conlon and the Gurzennich orchestra of Cologne. These are delightful works. Why aren't they ever performed live ? The liner notes say that they were performed widely in Europe during Bruch's day, roughly the second half of the 19th century. But somehow, they vanished altogether from the repertoire, except for a handful of recent recordings.
All I know is the Violin Concerto everyone programmes with Mendelssohn. What's the skinny on Bruch? He seems kind of "Gothic"?
snyprrr - apparently his choral music good, but so far all I've fallen in love with has been the chamber music, particularly this fantastic CD:
Quote from: SonicMan46 on May 17, 2007, 06:00:48 PM
String Octet, Quintet, & Piano Quintet - excellent CPO label - almost 80 mins. of wonderful chamber music!
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Quote from: Brian on June 17, 2014, 06:59:54 AM
snyprrr - apparently his choral music good, but so far all I've fallen in love with has been the chamber music, particularly this fantastic CD:
Yes, I saw your Post. Looks like a typically wonderful CPO! Is he mostly Major, or Minor?
Quote from: Brian on June 17, 2014, 06:59:54 AM
so far all I've fallen in love with has been the chamber music
I have figured it out! Brian:Bruch VC1::Pat B:Brahms VC
Scottish Fantasy and Kol Nidrei seem to be his next-most-popular works -- but I've only heard those and the three VCs. I wishlisted that cpo chamber disc.
;D
Suddenly I have taken an interest in Bruch, the result of hearing Litton and the Bergers accompany Benedetti in the first Violin Concerto (recorded live by the BBC early last year). I have also taken a sudden interest in Benedetti as an outstanding virtuoso violinist for the same reason. She did the same Bruch concerto with Belohlavek and the BBCSO at the last night of the Proms 2012, but despite the wonders of that performance, she outshone herself in Bergen, and trounced every other released performance I've made a point of listening to since... Anyway...er...I forgot what more I was going to say on the matter... :-[
I watched and listened to Hilary Hahn performing Bruch's Violin Concerto #1 last night and it was mesmerizing. I find her playing outstanding, but I'm a bit biased. Besides, there is a reason why Bruch's VC #1 belongs in the realm of popular concertos in the repertoire. I wish that Hahn was recording more of her performances.
https://www.youtube.com/v/KDJ6Wbzgy3E
Count me as another fan of that gem. His other concertante works should be better known, though. The 2 other VCs are as good or even better as the most famous 1st one. In Memoriam Op. 65 is especially good, so is the Scottish Fantasy.
Quote from: SymphonicAddict on October 17, 2019, 02:39:11 PM
Count me as another fan of that gem. His other concertante works should be better known, though. The 2 other VCs are as good or even better as the most famous 1st one. In Memoriam Op. 65 is especially good, so is the Scottish Fantasy.
Yes, I get a sense of that his works are underperformed. I was hoping to listen to some of the chamber works as well.
A chamber work of his I like is the Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Viola and Piano, op. 83. It can be found in a good recording (https://www.amazon.com/Max-Bruch-Chamber-TRIO-APOLLON/dp/B015GGZZ4I) (2015), along with some of Bruch's other chamber works, on RCA Red Seal:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81qRt-YtuYL._SL1500_.jpg)
Quote from: Moonfish on October 17, 2019, 03:06:08 PM
Yes, I get a sense of that his works are underperformed. I was hoping to listen to some of the chamber works as well.
As San Antone recommended, the 8 pieces for clarinet, viola and piano deserve several listens. In addition, this CD is wonderful:
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The String Octet is the jewel on the crown. Bruch at his best.
Quote from: SymphonicAddict on October 17, 2019, 03:47:19 PM
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The String Octet is the jewel on the crown. Bruch at his best.
Do you know how the octet/quintet performances compare to the Nash Ensemble on Hyperion?
Oddly enough, I've never quite liked the ever-popular 1st VC and think there are better Romantic VCs out there that aren't played nearly as often (Goldmark, Karlowicz, Rontgen, etc.). I prefer the 3rd VC and the Scottish Fantasy. I also enjoy the Eight Pieces for clarinet/viola/piano and remember liking the 3rd Symphony and Suite on Russian Themes. I must listen to the Octet which I haven't heard thus far. My favorite Bruch work of all, without a doubt, is the Concerto for Two Pianos. What a stunning work (in the chocolatey, dark key of A-flat minor!), completely inspired from beginning to end. I'm shocked it's not much better known. The scintillating recording by Katia and Marielle Labèque is required listening for anyone!
Quote from: schnittkease on October 17, 2019, 05:53:44 PM
Do you know how the octet/quintet performances compare to the Nash Ensemble on Hyperion?
No, I don't. I only have the cpo recording. The sound quality and performance on that CD is just lush and intense, quite fitting my tastes!
The composition dates trouble me. This music post-dates The Rite of Spring by several years, and yet vividly recalls the world of Brahms and Mendelssohn as though the rest had never happened. As a dinosaur myself and proud of it, I know how easy it is to lose credibility if you don't keep up, and I guess that is what has happened in the case of Max Bruch.
Bruch was staunchly conservative. AFAIR he supposedly called Richard Strauss' music "musical social democracy" (apparently a scathing dismissal). But I also think that the chamber music on the cpo disc is very attractive and at least as good as the better known Bruch, such as the 1st violin concerto, Scottish Fantasy or the double for clarinet/viola.
Quote from: Jo498 on October 18, 2019, 01:46:32 AM
Bruch was staunchly conservative. AFAIR he supposedly called Richard Strauss' music "musical social democracy" (apparently a scathing dismissal).
He was not alone.
Prokofiev recalled that even the most innocent musical innovations drove the conservative Lyadov crazy. "Shoving his hands in his pockets and rocking in his soft woollen shoes without heels, he would say, 'I don't understand why you are studying with me. Go to Richard Strauss. Go to Debussy.' This was said in a tone that meant 'Go to the devil!'"[2]In 1908, by the age of 54, Moszkowski had already become a recluse as he began to suffer from poor health. His popularity began to fade and his career slowly went into decline. He stopped taking composition pupils because "they wanted to write like artistic madmen such as Scriabin, Schoenberg, Debussy, Satie ...".[4]
I have to hastily correct myself, since by co-incidence the CPO disc fell through my letterbox this morning (used, costing next to nothing) and I've had time to rip it and listen to the Octet. I wrote:
Quote from: aukhawk on October 18, 2019, 01:20:46 AM
... This music post-dates The Rite of Spring by several years, and yet vividly recalls the world of Brahms and Mendelssohn as though the rest had never happened. ...
But listening to the Octet and the first-movement in particular, it is clearly post-Wagnerian in texture even if the form and structural gestures are more classical in style. In fact I was much reminded, in the first movement, of Schoenberg's
Verklarte Nacht (which pre-dates the Octet by 20 years). I guess Richard Strauss (about whose music I know nothing really) would be a fairer point of comparison than Mendelssohn.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear in the 2nd movement, a funeral march - I'm always a sucker for one of those!
Quote from: schnittkease on October 17, 2019, 05:53:44 PM
Do you know how the octet/quintet performances compare to the Nash Ensemble on Hyperion?
Without answering the question - the Nash disc was very well received I think, and it seems to me it is a better programme, omitting the Piano Quintet which is an earlier work, in favour of another String Quintet which is more contemporary with the other two late pieces. I would have bought that rather than the CPO if it had cropped up at a comparable (very low!) price.
TTT - nearly 2 1/2 years! I've not posted since the first page and now own about 10 CDs of Bruch and am starting a perusal today - listened to the Violin Concertos w/ Accardo this morning now on the Symphonies which have been criticized as 'old fashion' and at times 'unimaginative', along w/ performances receiving mixed reviews - currently I own the two top discs w/ Halász & Honeck - on the bottom are 3 more sets - reviews of all are attached for those interested - but current thoughts on the ones enjoyed the most and have other newer ones of these orchestral works appeared? Dave :)
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Quote from: SonicMan46 on March 17, 2022, 08:14:37 AM
TTT - nearly 2 1/2 years! I've not posted since the first page and now own about 10 CDs of Bruch and am starting a perusal today - listened to the Violin Concertos w/ Accardo this morning now on the Symphonies which have been criticized as 'old fashion' and at times 'unimaginative', along w/ performances receiving mixed reviews - currently I own the two top discs w/ Halász & Honeck - on the bottom are 3 more sets - reviews of all are attached for those interested - but current thoughts on the ones enjoyed the most and have other newer ones of these orchestral works appeared? Dave :)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71aQCSPGfcL._SL1200_.jpg) (https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71yEzgidEQL._SL1200_.jpg) (https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/712EUMGbU1L._SL1069_.jpg)
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I recently listened to CPO's collection of all the concertante violin works -
(https://www.radiotimescds.com/images/products-190/1638978972_5555092.jpg)
Weithaas is very good indeed. Of course so is Accardo but my problem with his set is the relatively dull accompaniment by Masur/Leipzig and I don't find them much better on their own in the symphonies. I imagine Honeck would be good - I like all his more recent work a lot and likewise I love the sound of the Weimar Staatskapelle which I imagine would suit Bruch to a "T".
Chamber Works for the afternoon - selective listening - currently own the 5 CDs below w/ some duplication - after listening to the Octet, a favorite, the much newer Nash Ensemble recording trumps the CPO version to my ears (and the rest is present on other discs), so likely will cull out; the attached reviewer's comments also are in agreement - a LOT of wonderful music on those performances. Dave :)
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