Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1
MAX BRUCH 1838 - 1920
VIOLIN CONCERTO No. 1 IN G MINOR Opus 26
Prelude: Allegro moderato
Adagio
Finale: Allegro energico
The genesis of the single work by which Max Bruch is known to all lovers of music spans the period just prior to and immediately after the two years that he spent in Coblenz, where he was the Director of the Royal Institute for Music from 1865 - 67. Born in Cologne in 1838, Bruch was the son of a government official and a mother who was well known both as a teacher and a singer. He was himself to enjoy a reputation as both conductor and composer, and was for a time the principal conductor of the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
Bruch's music largely speaks for itself in terms of its lyricism, harmonic language and rhythmic motifs, and these elements hold no surprises. What is novel is the concept of the first movement as a Vorspiel (Prelude) to the inspired slow movement, the use of sonata form for all three movements, and the Hungarian flavour of the finale, owing much, no doubt, to the influence of the celebrated violinist of the day, Joseph Joachim, whom Bruch consulted extensively over various technical details, and who Brahms was to consult over his own violin concerto some ten years later.
In fact, on the work's completion, Bruch showed his concerto to Brahms and played it through to him, with a great deal of enthusiasm and sweat. The older composer, not known for his tact, stood up when the performance was over and walking over to the piano took a sheet of the score, feeling it between fingers and thumb and remarking "Where do you buy your music paper? First rate!"
The concerto has impressed other listeners rather more deeply!
Bruch's music largely speaks for itself in terms of its lyricism, harmonic language and rhythmic motifs, and these elements hold no surprises. What is novel is the concept of the first movement as a Vorspiel (Prelude) to the inspired slow movement, the use of sonata form for all three movements, and the Hungarian flavour of the finale, owing much, no doubt, to the influence of the celebrated violinist of the day, Joseph Joachim, whom Bruch consulted extensively over various technical details, and who Brahms was to consult over his own violin concerto some ten years later.
In fact, on the work's completion, Bruch showed his concerto to Brahms and played it through to him, with a great deal of enthusiasm and sweat. The older composer, not known for his tact, stood up when the performance was over and walking over to the piano took a sheet of the score, feeling it between fingers and thumb and remarking "Where do you buy your music paper? First rate!"
The concerto has impressed other listeners rather more deeply!
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