Bruch String quartet no 1

 Day 94

Bruch String quartet no 1 in C minor op 9

Mannheim String Quartet

Bruch is almost, but not quite, a ‘one work’ composer. I suppose I have known his first violin concerto all my life as it was a favourite work of my parents and their LP of the concerto was often playing. It is a lovely piece and I was glad to hear it live a few days ago in concert. I have played a couple of other Bruch pieces - Kol Nidrei and the Scottish Fantasy and neither of them have anything like the same attractiveness, indeed the latter is one of the most boring pieces I have played for some time!

This quartet is a relatively early work (1859) - I had heard part of the slow movement before but this was the first time I had heard the whole piece. It is very much in the Schumann Mendelssohn tradition and is extrovert in character, quite symphonic in style and obvious designed for public performance. 

The first movement I found rather ordinary - the material was not particularly memorable and it did seem rather over extended, but the other three movement were more successful. The slow movement is beautifully lyrical and one can sense that this is by the same composer as the violin concerto, though it has to be said that it comes perilously close to plagiarising the slow movement of the Mendelssohn octet at times! The third movement has a Schumannesque rhythm and the finale is a lively 6/8 vivace rondo which builds to an impressive climax. 

There is a lot more Bruch to discover - he lived a long life, dying in 1920. Tovey said that his finest pieces were those for chorus and orchestra so perhaps that is the area to explore.