Bruch's Emotional Rollercoaster

Strap yourself in for a thrilling orchestral ride.

Composer: Bruch
Repertoire: Violin Concerto No.1, Konzertstück, Romance
Artists: Maxim Fedotov (violin), Russian Philharmonic Orchestra/Dmitry Yablonsky
Rating: 4/5

Genre: Orchestral

Label: Guild GMCD 7302

Maxim Fedotov produces a gloriously full and weighty sound, ideal for Bruch’s Romantic blockbuster. Not since Isaac Stern’s mid-1960s classic have those famous skin-tingling melodies hit the emotional bull’s-eye with such overwhelming intensity. If only the recording had possessed greater body and clarity, it would have been an outright winner. The two-movement Konzertstück was originally intended as a fourth concerto and is again played with scorching commitment by Fedotov, who clearly believes in every note. Here and in the Romance Salvatore Accardo (Philips) is blessed with the more sophisticated orchestral response, yet Fedotov’s surging spontaneity carries the day.