Bruch, Max

Preface

Bruch, Max

Serenade for violin and orchestra Op. 75 (Piano Reduction/Solo)

(b. Cologne, 6 January 1838 – d. Friedenau near Berlin, 2 October 1920)

1. Andante con moto p.3
2. Allegro moderato, alla marcia p.30
3. Notturno p.74
4. Allegro energico e vivace p.92

Preface
Besides vocal music, for which he expressed a preference during his student years, and which makes up a large part of his oeuvre, Max Bruch also had a strong predilection for the violin. His catalogue contains no fewer than nine single- or multi-movement works for solo violin and orchestra, including three concertos expressly labeled as such. Judging from his own statements, what attracted him to the instrument was its closeness to the human voice and its resultant affinity for melody – a fundamental aesthetic precept from a man who once referred to melody as “the soul of music.”1 His Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, op. 26, has remained in the standard repertoire of violinists the world over and is regularly heard in concert. In contrast, his other works have always stood in the shadow of the First Concerto and gradually fell into oblivion after his death.

Read the preface to the full score / das Vorwort zur Partitur lesen > HERE