Max Bruch – Violin Concerto 2 in D minor, op.44 (Simrock)

This piece is the lesser-known violin concertos written by Max Bruch, and very underrated. It features both lyrical, and virtuosic playing from the solo violin, accompanied in a recitative-like style by the orchestra, with a sound demonstrating the same richness and fervour which many come to know Bruch for.

Whilst the first concerto in G minor by Bruch persists in it’s success even in the 21st century, the premier of this, Bruch’s second concerto for violin, was largely overshadowed by a work of his contemporary, Johannes Brahms’ Violin Concerto, also in the key of D minor. Due to the roaring success of Brahms’ parallell work, this concerto faded into obscurity, but is now seeing more performance and appreciation in the modern day as a ‘cult-classic’ amongst the romantic violin repertoire.