Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Concerto pour violon et orchestre en ré majeur, op. 77

Max Bruch (1838-1920)
Concerto pour violon et orchestre n° 1 en sol mineur, op. 26

Hideko Udagawa, violon
London Symphony Orchestra
Sir Charles Mackerras, direction

Perhaps the most well-known direct comparison between both the Brahms and Bruch violin concertos comes from Hans von Bülow who commented that while Bruch had written a concerto for the violin, Brahms had composed one against it. And whilst this is perhaps a little harsh toward Brahms, one can see von Bülow's point : Bruch uses the orchestra to support his soloist whilst Brahms attempts to treat both soloist and orchestra as equals. Comparisons aside, both concertos are towering examples of the genre which are, and will remain, firmly established staples of concerto repertoire.