# Bruch’s violin concertos and Scottish fantasy



## EvaBaron (Jan 3, 2022)

I hear a sadness and longing in his writing for the violin and the orchestra. Love his musical language and I should definitely listen to more of his works. There is the incredibly famous 1st violin concerto, the less famous Scottish fantasy (but still repertoire, at least it used to be), and the basically neglected 2nd violin concerto and even more so the 3rd violin concerto. The 1st violin concerto and Scottish fantasy have their rightful place in the repertoire with the violin concerto being deservedly so more popular and performed. I do believe the other 2 violin concertos should have a little more recognition. Especially the 1st movement of the 2nd violin concerto which is excellent! In terms of recordings, Heifetz recorded all of them except the 3rd violin concerto so for that one I listen to Ehnes/Harnoncourt. For the rest Heifetz is absolutely the standard for me. So what do you think of these works and which recordings do you listen to?


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## Oldhoosierdude (May 29, 2016)

They are under discussed works. I see them as on par with any more popular similar compositions. 

I like Joshua Bell's more recent recordings although there are many other worthies.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Bruch is sure lucky he wrote that beautiful 1st concerto; without it he would be a forgotten composer. The 1st isn't played nearly as much as it was a generation ago and the Scottish Fantasy has all but disappeared. I like both works as well as other lesser-known Bruch and I'm grateful that the symphonies are at least recorded and more than once! But they're long gone from the concert halls. I guess Bruch is just too conservative.


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## PeterKC (Dec 30, 2016)

His concerto for two pianos is good. Conservative, yep.


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

A very melodic Composer. Reminds me of Mendelssohn.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Beautiful piece, so intens written special the Scottish fantasy, i think I like Kyung Wha Chung the most.


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## Scherzi Cat (8 mo ago)

Nicola Benedetti has the just the right passion for Bruch.


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## Scherzi Cat (8 mo ago)

For the double piano concerto, the Bard sisters have the the perfect chemistry.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

I've long loved both the First Concerto and the _Scottish Fantasy,_ and have multiple copies of both. 

Checking my Discogs database for "Bruch" provided 30 hits, several of which are the above two works. I see I have the First Concerto (and often including also the _Fantasy_) in performances by Heifetz, Yehudi Menuhin, Josef Suk, Ivry Gitlis, Salvatore Accardo, Nathan Milstein, David Oistrakh, Itzhak Perlman, and Kyung-Wha Chung. One might notice the abundance here of "old school" violinists, which might say something about the popularity of the two major Bruch works a generation past. I do have these works in performances by the "new school" violinist Jack Liebeck. Liebeck shows up on three discs from the Hyperion series "The Romantic Violin Concerto", numbers 17, 19, and 21
























which provides a good sampling of Bruch's works for violin and orchestra.

I was not surprised to see I have the Bruch symphonies in my collection. I've been visiting those works about once a year at least for the past couple of decades. Too, there are a handful of Bruch cello discs featuring, most notably, the _Kol Nidrei_ (including by cellists Jacqueline du Pré, Lynn Harrell, Emanuel Feuermann, and Pierre Fournier). This proves a piece not to miss if one is searching out Bruch music.

Perhaps the two most unusual discs of Bruch music in my collection are the following:










Whenever I play this disc, I am charmed. I would not count this music as top tier, but it's a delightful change from what one usually expects from Max Bruch.

As well, this:










There is one Bruch piece in this box set, the _Canzone_, Op. 55 For Cello And Orchestra (Arrangement For Flugelhorn by the featured artist, Sergei Nakariakov). Should you invest in this box set simply for the Bruch, you're in for a surprise -- the remainder of the works included. 

After penning this post I have an insatiable desire to hear some Max Bruch. Till then ....


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

I don't agree with the OP that the first concerto, whose melodic inspiration has always seemed to me - sorry - a tad commonplace, deserves greater popularity than the Scottish Fantasy, which I find by some way the more absorbing and atmospheric of the two. I'd add that I like Bruch's concerto for clarinet and viola as much as the Fantasy and rather more than the concerto.

As far as recordings are concerned, Oistrakh is my go-to for the concerto but Kyung Wha-Chung is very fine in her coupling of both.


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