Max Bruch - 2 &1/2 masterpieces SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

Max Bruch (1838-1920) was a composer from the middle of Classical Music's Romantic era of big, lush, symphonic music  (think Brahms & Bizet). His music is as solid as he looks and he wrote two of the most beautiful pieces for Violin and orchestra, his Violin Concerto #1 and the Scottish Fantasy (basically another violin concerto). There are a half dozen VC's at the top of anyone's list - like Beethoven's, Brahms', Mendelssohn's but some critics - like the violinist that Brahms wrote his VC for, claim his violin works belong up there with the great master's.

You don't hear Bruch's name much because although he wrote hundreds of compositions only  a couple became famous. Like Bizet, he is what some call a "one evening" composer in that all his great pieces can be easily heard in one evening.

For the other 1/2 masterpiece I suggest two more works if you really like Bruch. His Cello piece kol Nidrei with Jacqueline Du Pre, (give it at least 8 minutes before you give up, it grows on you) and his Octet (paired with a great recording of the Mendelssohn Octet.)

The playlist below has both of his violin pieces performed by a Akiko Suwanai a Japanese Violinist on an acclaimed Phillips recording with Marriner. (You don't often go wrong with Phillips or Marriner.)  Both pieces are from disc 15 of a 35 disc set. But if you are a traditionalist, you also might like the classically acclaimed Heifetz or Perlman recordings of the VC#1. A good alternative to the Scottish fantasy might be the recording by Fedotov.
 
Bruch also wrote the seldom recorded, virtually unknown, Oratorio, "Moses".  The playlist below includes several tracks from one of two recordings. if you like it you might like Bruckner's Requiem. It is seldom recorded so there are few choices to listen to - only one on Spotify.

All his recordings have an authority or weight about them, they are stentorian, and his music is always more than you expect. Bruch doesn't tire on repeated listening,  he is what Melville called a "deep diver".

If there is any piece of classical music more beautiful than the 4th movement of the Scottish fantasy I have not heard it.