Bruch: Symphonies 1 & 2

Max Bruch is not quite the one-work composer he might seem through the popularity of his G minor Violin Concerto. His Scottish Fantasy and Kol Nidrei– and also his pieces for clarinet, viola and piano – continue to be heard in concert. His symphonies, however, are kept alive largely on CD. Michael Halasz’s new recordings with the Staatskapelle Weimar are affectionate undertakings.

Halasz’s approach is appropriately hot-blooded, and he handles the first two of the composer’s three symphonies in a way that connects to the world of the famous violin concerto without forcing the music to appear too similar. Sample the sweep and lightness in the Scherzo of the First to know if Bruch and Halasz are for you. See url.ie/57c6