# Whatever Happened To The Three Max Bruch Symphonies ?



## superhorn

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. 
Kurt Masur and the Leipzig Gewandhaus orchestra also recorded them for Philips, and I believe one or two less well-known conductors for smaller labels.
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 Bruch,who lived from 1838 to 1920, quite a long and productive life, only the first violin concerto is performed with any frequency.
He wrote two others, and the Scottish fantasy ,also for violin and orchestra.
There are also several large scale oratorios which were totally neglected until recently, such as The Song of the Bell, based on an epic poem by Schiller, which I have on CD, and even an opera or two. 
Leon Botstein has also revived and recorded a couple of these oratorios. 
I don't know if the Conlon and Masur recordings of the symphonies are still available, but if you can find them, you'll be glad you could ! 
Check arkivmusic.org, the best place on the internet for hard-to-find classical CDs.
Their overall selection is also terrific. You can look anything up by either composer or performer alphabetically. It's terrific website. They also have a terrific selection of classical DVDs.


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## Weston

I have that album, or one like it on EMI with a black and white photo with blue lettering? It has some solo piano works too. I've listened to it in the background, but I can't recall getting all worked up over any of its themes. They do seem like solid journeyman pieces that deliver the goods. Maybe I should choose one of the symphonies for one of my more focused listening sessions soon.


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## Art Rock

Solid craftmanship, but less inspired in the melodic department. A better case can be made (imo) for his second and third violin concertos - and for his string quartets in chamber music.


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## Sid James

I heard Bruch's only piano trio live last year. It was interesting how it had two rather than the usual three or four movements. I also remember that it was kind of dominated by the violin, not surprising since that instrument was really like his forte. I think the reason why he's neglected in the concert halls or in terms of having his popularity limited to his _Violin Concerto #1_ was that his music was strongly derivative of Brahms. Brahms' violinist friend Joseph Joachim is similar, he wrote some excellent music, but there's no development in it away from the Brahmsian mould. So people just want to hear the original rather than a copy, no matter how good it is. & maybe also they lack a sense of adventure to explore new, less familiar things?

But my favourite work that I've heard so far from Bruch is his _Scottish Fantasy for violin & orchestra _(it also has a prominent part for harp, very "Celtic"). I like the atmosphere of this piece & love it's lightness & schmaltzyness (as long as it's not "sexed up" too much & put out of all proportion by the players). So perhaps Bruch wasn't a carbon copy of Brahms after all, eg. I wouldn't mistake this piece for Brahms never, ever, it's pretty unique...


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## mmsbls

I seem to like almost everything Bruch wrote. I adore the violin concertos along with the Scottish Fantasy. He wrote an orchestral work, Suite on Russian Themes, that I find beautiful. I also love several of his chamber works - piano quintet, octet, and string quintet.


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## elgar's ghost

The Masur Philips Duo sets have the advantage of collating all (I think) of Bruch's works for violin and orchestra and they do seem to bring out the best in him when it came to writing for larger forces and it is a pity that his reputation hinges on just the one concerto, Kol Nidrei (for cello and orchestra) and the Scottish Fantasy. The 'In Memoriam' adagio for violin and orchestra is very good and deserves to be better known. 

I find the symphonies perfectly OK to listen to but, as with Anton Rubenstein's, they seem to me to be serviceable rather than inspired - a bit like eating a portion of chips that are fine in themselves but are desperately in need of salt and vinegar.


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## jurianbai

I dunno what happened about Max B. , he maybe the composer suffered from music industry that only exploit his violin concerto. His 2 string quartets are very excellent for the Romantic style, I wonder why it's only few quartet interested to market them, if not only one the Mannheim sq that recorded it.


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## Donboy

I can't believe no-one has mentioned his Concerto for 2 pianos - surely one of the most romantic and melodic of that genre. Try to hear the Philarmonia/Marriner version with the Pekinel sisters.


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