Customer Reviews

Bruch: The Complete Symphonies

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Like most classical musicians, I knew Max Bruch primarily for his music for solo violin, and did not think of him as a symphonist. This set proves that Bruch was at home in both worlds. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I've long been addicted to the symphonic tradition -- I'll listen to anyone's symphony just to see what they'll do with the form. The Op. 28, first on the disc, struck me as being partway between Mendelssohn and Brahms (would that be Schumann?), and the style is more or less the same throughout the other two symphonies. The most striking work in this collection is "In Memoriam," Op. 68, which is clearly influenced by later ideas (or perhaps by the moodiness of Brahms' *younger* years, I can't decide which). Unlike some of the other lesser-known German romantics, Bruch the symphonist seems to have had something to say and the talent to say it. This music is unjustly neglected and Masur and the incomparable Gewandhausorchester give a fabulous reading.

Have you ever wondered what might have happened to the great Austro-German symphonic tradition if Brahms and Bruckner hadn't come along? Max Bruch provides one possible answer: a thoroughly original elaboration of the melody-based symphonic style of Mendelssohn (and, to an extent, Schumann). Bruch was a close friend of Brahms, but any influence from the latter is undetectable. Not too surprising: Bruch's first two symphonies were written well before the Brahms First appeared and are roughly contemporary with Bruckner's earliest symphonies. In any event, Bruch's symphonic style has little in common with the (in different ways) rigorously architectural styles of his two great Austro-German contemporaries. Nevertheless, Bruch's symphonies are, in their own way, superbly memorable. Bruch's melodies are distinguished, his counterpoint impeccable and his sense of orchestral color second to none. (Think of these pieces more as first-rate orchestral suites than as organically developed symphonies and you won't be far off the mark.) Most important, this music stays in your memory; none of the dull, uninspired note spinning provided by forgettable composers like Draeseke or Raff who are, every once in a while, trotted out by orchestras looking for 19th century novelties. Masur and the Gewandhaus Orchestra clearly have this music in their bones and play it to the hilt. The short works for violin and orchestra make for welcome bonuses. Recorded sound is wonderful and the price is right. Don't hesitate!

It's only a slight reticence in the recorded tone that prevents me from giving the full 5 stars to this 2-disc set. In every other way it has a great deal going for it. Bruch is sadly and most unjustly neglected except for the first violin concerto, the Scottish Fantasia and Kol Nidrei in my own experience. His music is outstandingly beautiful and individual, not in my own opinion showing any undue influence from Mendelssohn much less from Schumann. To my ears these masters are no doubt part of the general romantic background that the next generation absorbed, but Bruch has a thoroughly personal style and sound of his own. If your German or French is up to it read the liner note in one of these languages rather than the English one, which is a very inferior effort from another hand. If you're stuck with English, forget Mr Fifield's gratuitous and unenlightening fixation with Mendelssohn and Schumann. Bruch's range of expression is not particularly wide, but his melodic line is stronger than Mendelssohn's, the construction of his works is more fluent than Schumann's, not to say a lot better orchestrated, and he does not sound in the least like either of them.

Bruch's three symphonies are not far behind his concertos in attractiveness, the third being perhaps the best. However one should `rate' him in some pantheon of 19th century composers, it seems to me only fair to say that they are more even in quality than those of his nearer contemporaries Tchaikovsky and Dvorak. The performances strike me as being in general excellent, with speeds well judged and the rich late-romantic idiom put over with understanding and affection. The Leipzig orchestra is not one to let us down in any way, and the solo spots must have been most gratifying to the section principals, particularly, I'd guess, to the clarinettist. The recordings of all the works comprising this set were done over the period 1977-88, except perhaps that of the A minor Romanze which for some reason we are not told. The recorded quality is not bad by any means, but I couldn't shake off the sense that the orchestral effect needs more `presence' and general lustre to it. Bruch's sound, not just in his orchestral compositions but in some chamber works that I also know and own in recordings, is highly and outstandingly beautiful and mellifluous, rich without being over-ripe. I would have liked it more `in my face', so to speak, and I found that this sense coloured my reaction to the pieces with solo violin. On another day I might have thought the solo instrument too close, but here I was glad of the impact of Accardo's intense and strong-toned playing, full of soul and heart, by way of contrast. These four shortish numbers are Bruch at his very best, and it was high time I got to know them and to have the opportunity to recommend them to anyone with ears to hear.

This is a lovely pair of discs, minor reservations notwithstanding. How music of this quality has managed to stay as unfamiliar as it seems to have done is not something I can offer a good explanation for. If you don't wish it to stay unfamiliar to you, the remedy is here to hand.

Max Bruch's symphonies are not well known, but will be of interest to those who love his music. They are workmanlike, beautiful essays, without quite reaching heights of greatness (although with Kurt Masur's superb conducting, one is inclined to have second thoughts at times). When the symphonies in this collection give way to works for violin and orchestra, it is easy to understand why Max Bruch is best remembered for this form. This album includes the heart-rending "In Memoriam" for violin and orchestra - one of Bruch's very finest achievements, even though it remains obscure.

I can't add much to the eloquent comments already posted, but Bruch's symphonies are sweet, relaxing, and surprisingly approachable. I would only wish he had written more.

This 2-CD set of Bruch's 3 symphonies and five violin pieces is a compilation of downright beautiful music. Bruch's romantic symphonies are exquisitely crafted- chock full of lush themes and wonderful orchestration. If you're unfamiliar with them (as I was) at one moment you'll be thinking Schumann, then at another Brahms. There are moments of Mahler-like bombast but fortunately they're few and brief.

The violin pieces are as good or even better- ranging from a virtuosic tour-de-force to haunting introspection.

Both the orchestral and solo violin playing are very well done- no negatives here. And I disagree with a (much earlier) reviewer- I thought Philips did a nice job with the sound throughout, both in the miking and recording.

If you're a fan of Romantic music, and especially German Romantic music (is there any better?) you'll enjoy this modestly-priced CD set as an addition to your collection.

Max Bruch did not exhaust the possibilities for romantic, passionate violin performance in concerto. He merely came close.

That astonishing achievement earns this underrated late-Romantic composer a place in every listener's library, to say nothing of the Hall of Honor inhabited by 'classical' composers. Kurt Masur's baton leading the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and the inspired violin of Salvatore Accardo in this 1998 Philips 'Duo' release of recordings made in 1978, 1979, 1984, and 1988 make this a CD well worth owning.

The title is anomalous, since the two discs contain not only Bruch's three symphonies, but also his Romanze in A Minor, Op. 42; Adagio appasionato, Op. 57; In Memoriam, Op. 65; and Konzertstück in F sharp minor, Op. 84. Yet nobody's complaining, for it is largely via these pieces that Bruch's mastery with strings shines so brilliantly.

The symphonies are another matter. Those not familiar with Bruch might well use the Brahms symphonies as a reference point, from which one can then move on to mark the significant differences between the two composers.

Bruch's symphonies are sonorous and profoundly moving, a kind of German varietal linked horizontally at some deep level to the tonal palate of an English composer like Vaughan Williams.

This is very fine music. Bruch's symphonies are not Brahms, either in shape or in quality. Yet they are 'Brahmsian', if one may coin an adjective to indicate a master's less gifted but honorable disciple.

It is while listening through the pieces for violin and orchestra that a reviewer wonders how he could have stumbled erect thus far through life without having known this splendid beauty. An album with *only* Bruch's symphonies would be a workhorse piece of the library with little threat of keeping one up late into the morning, listening. An album of Bruch's symphonies *and* these that feature Accardo's violin in front of an exceptionally well-led Gewandhausorchester Leipzig is another matter. Threatening, indeed.

What can I say, if you have the violin concertos by the same line-up. Don't hestiate, get this as well. It has the balance of violin & orchestral pieces and his symphonies. It is a First Rate recording in every sense of the word. What a set. Magnificient!!!!!!!!!!!Bruch's VCs and Syms are better than Brahms if you ask me.

Of the music I have explored outside of, what might be called, 'the core repertoire' these orchestral works, and those of Muzio Clementi, are, perhaps, the best and most satisfying. There is plenty of good stuff to really get you teeth into on these two CDs. The Gewundhaus Leipzig are up to their usual high standard while Kurt Masur leads with assuredness. The competition is thin on the ground but runs it very close overall. It may be wise to explore the other sets available, having better sound, if not playing, than the present record.

The Music: 5/5
There is little music of this consistently high standard outside of that core of composers whose names reel effortlessly off the top of one's head. Why Bruch has never been remembered beyond his First Violin Concerto and Scottish Fantasy (both of which are available from the same forces present here on another two-disc Phillips set Bruch: The Complete Violin Concertos) is a mystery considering the wonderful melodies, harmonic progression and rhythmic life of these works. If comparisons must be drawn then Bruch is close to Mendelssohn and Schumann and somewhere between Schumann and Brahms in the overall idiomatic development of the romantic period. Perhaps this is where the problem for Bruch's legacy lies. At a time dominated by forward looking Germanic composers such as Bruckner, Brahms and Mahler (Bruch continued composing until his death in 1920, no less), his voice has been forgotten. If he had been a contemporary of Schumann or Mendelssohn, we may know him better today. Bruch's idiom is, of course, very unique and such comparisons are probably unfair in light of that fact; his orchestration is generally clearer and more attentive than that of either Schumann or Brahms while he is willing to experiment with formal structures - Symphony No. 2 has only three movements. In short, disappointment is unlikely to be the result of any encounter with Max Bruch and the musical content of this set is highly satisfying.

The Performances: 5/5
Generally, the Gewundhauss punches above its weight in this set. Instead of trotting out any old indiscipline at the sight of a relatively unknown composer, they play with verve and commitment that betrays an air of quality and excellence. At times, greater commitment could be asked for, though this is a minor quible and it should be remembered that this isn't the world's greatest orchestra. Suffice it to say, ensembe is comfortably assured while the orchestra plays with discipline and rigour, utilising an appreciable palette of colour and contributing to the tension of the musical lines. The orchestral performance is very engaging.

All the smaller scale pieces in this set are scored for violin and orchestra - the soloist being Salvatore Accado. His playing is sumptuous and refined while he treats the music with great sympathy and passion. Considering most of these pieces are broadly paced and meditative and introvert, it could be reasonable to expect that this music may eventually become tiresome. Accado dispels such misconceptions with a mesmerisingly fascinating quality of playing and warm yet exciting tone and phrasing. The orchestral support is shrewd and faithful - perhaps performing better here than in the symphonies! Don't discount these shorter works, they are equally expressive of Bruch's genius as the symphonies.

Sound: 3/5
Unfortunately, this is where this set falls down. While the orchestra is caught quite faithfully and within the bounds of acceptability, the engineering could have been much better. Listen to any of the symphonies, the orchestra is distanced spoiling the concert ambience. The sense here is not of being in a privileged position of the best seats in the house but of being far away against the back wall of the theatre. Not only this, there is a murky viel compounded by over-reverberation. Much detail and colouring is lost as a result while Bruch's scores are not being done full justice. A contrapuntive style which parallels this composer with Mendelssohn is lost and is generally not one of the qualities that one is capable of appreciating the performances or the music for. The dynamic range is also slightly constrained which may contribute to the impression that other reviewers have got that this music deserves more life and energy - a punch - that isn't really present here. In short, this is quite a let down considering the obvious quality of the composition.

Fortunately, sound improves in the smaller works with the orchestra still distanced but with greater presence and chance to shine. Accado is also captured well, if at times, very brightly. There is little to complain about here but that really doesn't make up for the disappointments of the symphonies.

Interpretations: 5/5
Both Masur and Accado interpret this music very convincingly. Others have noted Masur's affinity with the scores and his literal readings are logical and satisfying. Masur lets Bruch speak for himself without intrusion, exaggeration or self-consciousness. The music is left to do the talking in a fresh and easy style that is welcome in little known music such as this. Masur's leadership - experienced and confident - makes this set first choice among the Bruch Symphony cycles.

Overall, a very welcome and satisfying set. Even if the sound quality is lacking, these records make a very good case for Bruch as a composer. If sound quality is a big issue, there are alternatives but they lack something of Masur's fresh and unexagerated interpretations: Bruch: Symphonies 1-3, Concerto for 2 Pianos, Symphonies 1 & 2 & Bruch: Symphony No. 3; Suite on Russian Themes and, finally Bruch: Symphony No 1; Violin Concerto No 3 / London SO & Bruch: Symphony 3/Violin Concerto 2 make up the recommendable list. Unfortunately, Hickox died before he could give us a Bruch Second - a real tragedy. This set is highly recommendable and is critically acclaimed as first choice in its field; something that can't be disputed though a few caveats needed highlighting.

At first, my acquaintance with the composer Max Bruch had been with his famous violin concerto (I had no idea he also wrote symphonies). I was really surprised when I heard his symphonies and thought they were so beautiful. I just wonder why it seems they are not that popular as those of Sibelius or Tchaikovsky-- when in fact, these works are just as magnificent. Highly recommended!