Naxos: 8557793

While Max Bruch’s first Violin Concerto is one of the most popular in the repertoire, his other two remain relatively unknown.

The second, dedicated to the virtuoso Pablo Sarasate, opens with a rhapsodic Adagio brimming with sublime melodies, its declamatory middle movement leading to a rhythmic finale.

In contrast, the third, from 1891, launches heroically, the soloist taking centre-stage in the lyrical Adagio middle movement, a perpetuum mobile rondo finale capping the work.

Maxim Fedotov’s recording of Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 can be heard on Naxos 8557689. His recording of the Scottish Fantasy is available on 8557395.