Max Bruch: His Life and Works

By Christopher Fifield

Book Overview

Max Bruch (1838-1920), the German composer best known for his Violin Concerto in G minor, was in his day, a famous conductor and teacher as well as a prolific composer; yet he has been sadly neglected, perhaps in comparison to his contemporary Brahms. In this book - the only full-length study of Bruch - the author provides a richly documented account of Bruch's career as music director and composer, including a spell with the Liverpool Philharmonic Society from 1880-1883, and as a teacher at the Royal Academy of Arts in Berlin from 1892 until his retirement in 1911, where Vaughan Williams was one his pupils; he paints a picture of a proud and sensitive man, whose talents were perhaps left behind at a time of rapid musical development. The book also offers a musical analysis of his one hundred published works, including three operas.

CHRISTOPHER FIFIELD is foremost a conductor, but also a writer on music history (Grove, DNB, Viking Opera Guide, Oxford Companion to Music), the author of a biography of Hans Richter, the editor of the letters and diaries of Kathleen Ferrier, and a recent history of the music agents Ibbs and Tillett.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1843831368
• ISBN13: 9781843831365
• Release Date: July 2005
• Publisher: Boydell Press
• Length: 408 Pages
• Weight: 1.51 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.2" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

A thorough look at Max Bruch

Well and engagingly written, this book gives a lively look into the life of a composer who is now known for only a handful of the nearly 100 works he wrote and who deserves a better fate than that.

The Essence of Bruch

I am the pre-concert speaker for all the symphonic programs of the Boise Philharmonic Association and a guest speaker for the Seattle Symphony. My challange is to bring to life the composers and to create a meaningful context for their works so that the audience can get the most out of each performance. This book contains everything one needs to know about this arresting romantic composer who wrote two of the most beautiful pieces aver written: his Violin Concerto in g minor and his Scottish Fantasy. Bruch's secret? The inspiration of folksong and folk music. The grace, simplicity, the authenticity, and the unalloyed power of the voice of humanity taught him how to write orchestral music that will endure forever. It is all in this excellent book, a perfect companion to his musical masterpieces.