Max Bruch

1838 - 1920

Born in the city of Cologne (Koln) in 1838 Bruch is of course wildly famous for his violin concertos which are something of a staple on popular classical radio stations.

Another child prodigy he had composed his first symphony by the age of just 14 and an opera “Scherz, List und Rache” based on a work by Goethe by the age of 20.

He became a prolific composer for the violin, conducted orchestras from Cologne to Liverpool, Wroclaw to Berlin. In 1890 he was appointed a professor at the Berlin Academy of Arts.

By far his most popular works in his lifetime were vast orchestral extravaganzas Schön Ellen (1867) and Odysseus (1872). Essential works in the repertoire of German choral societies throughout the last quarter of the 19th century, they have faded completely and are rarely seen or recorded today.

The excerpt below is the only bit of Schön Ellen we could track down.