Max Bruch (1838-1920); DEU

Bruch, Max (b Cologne, 1838; d Friedenau, 1920). Ger. composer and conductor. Studied in Cologne with F. Hiller and Reinecke, returning as teacher 1858-61. Cond. of various concert organizations in Berlin and Bonn and of Liverpool Phil. Soc. 1880-3 (an unhappy period). Dir. Orchesterverein, Breslau, 1883-90, prof. of comp. Berlin Hochschule 1892-1910, among his pupils for a brief period being Vaughan Williams. Cond. Scottish Orch. 1898-1900. His comps. incl. 3 operas: Scherz, List ind Rache (Cologne 1858), Die Loreley (1862, rev. 1887, f.p. Mannheim 1863), and Hermione (Berlin 1872), based on Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale; 3 syms. (1870, 1870, 1887); many choral works (by which he was best known in Ger.), incl. Odysseus (1872), Das Lied von der Glocke (1879), Achilleus (1885), and Das Feuerkreuz (after Scott's The Lady of the Lake) (1889); 3 vn. concs. (No.1 in G minor, 1868, No.2 in D minor, 1878, No.3 in D minor, 1891); Scottish Fantasy, vn., orch. (1880); Kol Nidrei, vc., orch. (1881); Adagio appassionato, vn., orch. (1891); conc., cl., vn. (1911); Fantasy, 2 pf., orch. (1860); conc., 2 pf. (1912); Septet (1849-50); 2 str. qts. (1859, 1860); str. quintet in A minor (1919); Klavierstücke (1860-1).

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