 Ce deuxième volume de l’œuvre intégrale de Max Bruch pour violon et orchestre s’ouvre sur le célébrissime premier concerto dont la perfection, coup de génie de Bruch, allait rejeter dans l’ombre le reste de sa production. Antje Weithaas et Hermann Baümer en donnent une lecture d’un romantisme orageux, plus tourmenté qu’élégiaque, qui ravive opportunément les couleurs de ce « tube » du répertoire. En complément, ils nous offrent le grand adagio « un memoriam », titre qui ne renvoie à aucune intention connue de la part de Bruch, sombre page qui se grise du lyrisme déclamatoire du violon. Enfin, la très (trop ?) vaste « sérénade » de 1899 qui occasionna une brouille entre le compositeur, d’une susceptibilité légendaire, et Sarasate qui se désintéressa de l’œuvre, n’atteint pas au même sommet que les deux premiers concertos ou que la fantaisie écossaise qu’elle évoque en maints endroits. Magnifique panorama d’un musicien qui plaçait son orgueil dans sa façon d’écrire pour le violon mais qui n’a pas su renouveler la réussite de son premier concerto. (Richard Wander) Max Bruch is perhaps the most famous one-work composer. As the author of his Violin Concerto No. 1 he enjoys worldwide fame, while his Scottish Fantasy only rarely continues to be performed, and everything else more or less has fallen into oblivion. Nevertheless, Bruch continues to hold many a rewarding discovery in store, which is why cpo espoused his cause quite some time ago. We are now announcing a very special highlight: we have obtained the services of the outstanding violinist Antje Weithaas for this new recording of Bruch’s complete oeuvre for violin and orchestra with the NDR Radio Philharmonic. Bruch’s friendships with Joachim and later with Sarasate very much inspired him, with the result that this work group by far accounts for the largest share of his symphonic oeuvre. Three concertos (no, counting the four-movement Serenade, actually four), the Fantasy, a Concertino, and various single movements: now that is a little violin concerto cosmos all of its own. And when a gifted artist like Antje Weithaas rouses these sleeping beauties, then fairy-tale magic is in the air. On Vol. 2 this superb violinist turns to Bruch’s first violin concerto, which enjoyed such a spectacular success beginning right with its premiere in 1868 that during later years Bruch feared that he would be remembered merely as a »one-hit-wonder.« Unfortunately, he was quite right on this point! The recording also includes the great Serenade, that is, what was actually Bruch’s fourth violin concerto, and the gripping In Memoriam.
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