Bruch: Concerto pour violon n°1

Alyssar Ghandour
Dr Raffi Mandalian
Concert Report; 9:00 am

Introduction

This piece is being played by Maxim Vengerov plays, Orchester philharmonique de Radio

France under the direction of Pablo Heras-Casado, the 1st concerto for violin and orchestra by

Max Bruch. Excerpt from the concert given on December 3, 2021 at the auditorium of the

Maison de la Radio et de la Musique. The composer of this piece is Max Bruch.

Max Bruch

Max Bruch was born in 1838 as the son of singer Wilhelmin (formerly Almenrader) in Cologne

and August Karl Friedrich Bruch, a lawyer who became vice president of the Cologne police. He

had one sister, Matilde. He received his early musical training from composer and pianist

Ferdinand Hiller. Ferdinand Hiller was a short piano concerto by Robert Schumann. Bohemian

composer and piano virtuoso Ignaz Moscheles recognized Bruch's talent. At the age of nine,

Bruch wrote his first composition, a song for his mother's birthday. Since then, music has been

his passion. His parents actively supported his study.

He wrote many small early works, including orchestral works such as motets, poetry settings,

piano songs, violin sonatas, string quartets, as well as proposed operas and Jeanne d'Arc

preludes. Some of these early works have survived, and the whereabouts of most of his surviving

works are unknown.

He took his first music theory lesson in Bonn in 1849. It was given by his father's friend,

Professor Heinrich Karl Bridenstein. At this time Bruch was staying at Bergisch Gladbach's

mansion, where he wrote much of his music. The farm was owned by lawyer and notary Naisen,

who lived with his unmarried sister. The property was subsequently purchased by the Zanders

family, who owned a large paper mill. Later, Maria Zanders [de] became Bruch's friend and

patron. Young Bruch was taught French and English conversation by his father.

Work and Contributions

Bruch wrote his first opera titled Scherz, List und Rache in 1858 at the same time as running as

track instructor in Cologne. In his expansive musical profession as a composer, conductor and

instructor, Bruch held numerous musical posts in diverse locations in Germany along with in

Mannheim from 1862 to 1864, in Koblenz from 1865 to 1867, in Sondershausen from 1867 to

1870 and in Berlin from 1870 to 1872. From 1873 to 1878, he labored privately in Bonn.

The structural, complicated and numerous works of Bruch composed in German Romantic

musical culture made him a part of the camp of Roman classicism, which covered his pal and

cited German composer, pianist, and conductor Johannes Brahms, in preference to that of New

German School of Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner.

While serving as director of concert events of the Vienna Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde from

1872 to 1875, Brahms made positive that the orchestra covered best experts and carried out a

repertoire which ran from Johann Sebastian Bach to the nineteenth century composers who have

been now no longer a part of New Music and covered amongst others Franz Schubert, Ferdinand

Hiller and Bruch.

Although Bruch garnered repute throughout his lifetime especially as a choral composer, he

additionally received interest for a number of his amazing orchestral compositions. One of the

maximum well-known works of Bruch turned into Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26,

which until this day stays one of the maximum famous Romantic violin concertos in solo violin

repertoire. The concerto, that's in 3 movements, used many strategies from Violin Concerto in E

minor of Felix Mendelssohn and turned into first finished in 1866. The piece turned into

thereafter revised extensively with help of Bruch`s pal and prominent Hungarian violinist,

conductor, composer and instructor Joseph Joachim and the existing model turned into finished

in 1867. The musical composition has been recorded frequently and keeps to revel in recognition

in each repertoire and target market terms.

Two other Bruch masterpieces that are still widely performed today are Scottish Fantasy,

composed for violin and orchestra; and Cornidley, op amp. 47, composition for cello and

orchestra. The Scottish Fantasia in E-flat major, a fantasia of the four movements of the Scottish

folk melody, was completed in 1880 and dedicated to the Spanish (Navarre) violin virtuoso

Pablo de Sarasate. Kol Nidrei, the second most performed piece after Bruch's Violin Concerto

No. 1, was completed in Liverpool, England in 1880 and published in Berlin the following year.

Dedicated to and premiered by Robert Hausmann, an important German cellist of the 19th

century.

The use of Jewish folk music in his composition has led many to believe that Bruch is Jewish.

No evidence was found that Bruch was a Jewish descendant, but the composer himself actively

sought to correct this misunderstanding during his lifetime, and later his surviving family also

corrected this misunderstanding. Denied, as Adolf Hitler, his musical performance was restricted
Bruch: Concerto pour violon n°1

to 1933-1945 and the NSDAP ruled the country because he was thought to be Jewish. As a

result, his composition was almost forgotten in the German-speaking world.

Bruch's other notable works, which continue to compose in a romantic tradition and avoid the

positive contemporary trends and revolutionary spirit of the times, are the four-act opera,

Hermine (1872), and op amps. 40; Odysseus: The scene of Odyssey (1872), the secular oratorio

(Opus 41). Concert works for violin and orchestra Romance, Minor, Op. 42, (1874); Swedish

Dance (1892), Op. 63, a series of 15 dances. Octet Op in B flat major. (1920).

Meanwhile, on February 23, 1880, Bruch was appointed Principal Conductor of the Liverpool

Philharmonic Society. During his tenure, Bruch confronted the association's board of directors

and expressed anger at the actions of the audience. Bruch finally resigned in January 1883 as the

standards of both the orchestra and the choir deteriorated, while members of the committee

disagreed. After that, he served on the board of the Breathlauer (now Wroclaw, Poland)

Orchestra Society.

In 1890 Bruch attended the Berlin Academy of Music, where he taught composition until his

retirement in 1910. He maintained his position as a university professor until his death in 1920.

Among his prominent students were Fritz Brace, Clara Matilda Feist, and Eduardo Joseph

Collins. From 1890 to 1911 he was also a professor at the Academy of Arts Berlin.

Bruch was betrayed by American duo pianist sisters Rose Sutro and Ottilie Sutro. The two

sisters, also notorious as fraudsters, repeatedly deceived him by taking advantage of Bruch's

credible nature. Bruch was delighted to read his fantasia in D minor for two pianos. 11 He agreed

to write a double concerto for her in 1911. He wrote a concerto in A flat minor for two pianos

and an orchestra. 88a for them in 1912 gave them the sole right to perform on the work, allowing
Bruch: Concerto pour violon n°1

them to perform theatrical performances only within the United States, and could not perform

beyond that. However, Sutros never ran the play in the original version and released it with

malicious changes to the play. They also took advantage of Bruch, who was in poor condition at

the end of World War I, to send him the signature of his most famous masterpiece, the Violin

Concerto No. 1, for sale in the United States and to him. I sent the money. However, the Sutro

sisters kept the score and sold it for their own benefit in 1949, almost 30 years after Bruch's

death.

The piece played in the video is amazing and Maxim Vengerov did an excellent job playing this

piece by Max Bunch.

Body

This piece needs a solo violin and a standard classical orchestra consisting of two flutes, two

oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings.

The concerto is in three movements: Vorspiel: Allegro moderato, Adagio, Finale: Allegro

energico. But it seems like Maxim Vertego added one more movement of his own (cadenza) to

add his own touch to the show.

The first move is unusual in that it is the prelude of the second move and follows directly. The

song begins slowly, with the flute picking up the melody first and then the solo violin in the short

cadenza. This is repeated again and serves as an introduction to the main parts of the movement.

This part contains a strong first subject and a very melodic and generally slow second subject.

The movement ends at the beginning, the two short cadenzas are more sophisticated than before,
Bruch: Concerto pour violon n°1

the last tutti of the orchestra flows into the second movement, and the bass of one of the first

violins is added.

I really liked this movement I can really feel his emotions and how invested he is in this piece

through the music. The performers did well, especially when they all started playing together. It

was my first time hearing this piece so I was stunned. The first movement builds up very strong

for the others and lifts expectations high.

The cadenza starts with a solo performance from Maxim Vengerov.then he is joined with the

flutes. At the end all instruments play together then they slow down getting ready for the next

movement. It was a bit faster than the first movement. It was great and followed up with the

same standard and reached expectations as the first one.

The slow second movement is often praised for its melody and is generally regarded as the

centerpiece of the concerto. The theme presented by the violin is interrupted by parts of the

constantly moving orchestra, taking advantage of the movement and helping it flow from one

part to the next.

This was the central movement between the first and last act. It is my least favorite because I felt

it was a bit slow and didn’t feel like there is much happening. On the other hand, the performers

did what they had to do.

The third movement, the finale, begins with an introduction to an intense yet gentle orchestra.

This brings a stunning double stop to soloist presentations on energetic themes. It's very similar

to dancing, moving comfortably, fast and at an energetic pace. The second subject is a good

example of romantic lyricism. This is a slow melody that interrupts the movement several times

before the dance theme returns with fireworks. The song ends with tremendous acceleration,

leading to a fiery ending, faster speeds, higher pitches as it gets bigger, and finally two short but

big chords.

This movement was the best in my opinion of all of them. It really gave me goose bumps. The

ending is amazing when the speed fastens and the big chords hit. You can feel the music in your

heart as it is so touching. I feel like the performers came on top and exceeded expectations with

this performance.
Bruch: Concerto pour violon n°1

Conclusion

Max Bruch was a child prodigy who grew up to be a talented composer of outstanding taste and

sophistication, and was a composer who could always rely on to produce works of professional

finish and stunning beauty. He composed in virtually every medium and was very successful in

most. His cantata Frithjof, Op. 23 (1864), was very popular for the rest of the century. Similarly,

the stage of his Odysseus (a cantata built on the Homer scene), Achilles, and Schiller's Daslead

von de Agrock has long been popular during the heyday of the cantata and oratorio markets, and

almost all of all sizes. An annual choral festival was held in the city of or European and

American cultural claims. He also wrote three operas, three symphonies, songs, choirs and

chamber music. He was active as a conductor in Germany and England and eventually became a

professor of composition at the Berlin Academy.

Yet today he is remembered primarily for a few concertos. There can be little doubt that the

violin was his preferred solo instrument. Of his three concertos for that instrument, the first was

one of his earliest successes and remains the most frequently performed of all his works. Bruch`s

music was immediately accessible, comprehensible to the bulk of the audience on first hearing,

and this may explain why we hear so little of it today. In many respects he was similar to the

early Spohr and Mendelssohn. Both wrote a lot of great music, even if they didn't challenge

enough to talk to the audience for decades.

This piece was satisfying to the ear and a great experience. I enjoyed listening to the whole

performance, the third movement really caught my ears and was my favorite while the second

just felt too slow for me. But in general it is one of the best performances I have seen.

References

Who was Max Bruch? everything you need to know. Facts, Childhood, Family Life &

Achievements. (n.d.). Retrieved May 14, 2022, from

https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/max-bruch-421.php

BBC. (2020, May 18). Tales from the Stave, Max Bruch's Violin concerto. BBC Radio 4.

Retrieved May 14, 2022, from https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00094kz

Aspen Music Festival and school. (n.d.). Retrieved May 14, 2022, from

https://www.aspenmusicfestival.com/program_notes/view/bruch-violin-concerto-no.-1-in-

g-minor-op.-26
Bruch: Concerto pour violon n°1

Google. (n.d.). Max Bruch. Google. Retrieved May 14, 2022, from

https://books.google.com.lb/books?id=J_6Yr7-

M6ZkC&pg=PA77&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

Guardian News and Media. (2000, April 26). Bruch still no 1 in Classic hall of fame. The

Guardian. Retrieved May 14, 2022, from

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/apr/26/johnezard