Although it may not change the pantheon of The Great German Symphonists of the nineteenth century, this disc of the three symphonies of Max Bruch may at least help bring the composer back from the land of the nearly forgotten (except, of course, for the Second Violin Concerto and the Scottish Fantasy) to the land of the intermittently programmed. Although his symphonies were composed between 1869 and 1882, Bruch's romantic harmonic language and dramatic orchestral rhetoric clearly belong to the pre-1848 era. Not only do his ...
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Although it may not change the pantheon of The Great German Symphonists of the nineteenth century, this disc of the three symphonies of Max Bruch may at least help bring the composer back from the land of the nearly forgotten (except, of course, for the Second Violin Concerto and the Scottish Fantasy) to the land of the intermittently programmed. Although his symphonies were composed between 1869 and 1882, Bruch's romantic harmonic language and dramatic orchestral rhetoric clearly belong to the pre-1848 era. Not only do his themes sometimes resemble those of Schumann and his harmonies occasionally recall those of Mendelssohn, but there is nothing in this music to reveal the influence of Brahms' heroism, much less Wagner's chromaticism. Be that as it may, there are still many things to enjoy in Bruch's symphonic art: a cheerful optimism, a congenial warmth, and, above all, an earnest sincerity that brooks no doubt. Johannes Wildner brings tremendous enthusiasm to Bruch's music, giving it clarity of...
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