Bruch's Scottish Fantasy.

Blogging musical now and today.

I just picked up a recording of Max Bruch's Scottish Fantasy & First Violin Concerto. As you know I listen to streaming radio while I work at my workstation at home. One of the stations I listen to is WCPE and they play the Scottish Fantasy on a regular basis, so much so I recognize immediately the piece's fifth & final movement. In fact, that fifth & final movement is what inspired me to go out and purchase the recording of the Israel Philharmonic (Zubin Metha leads & Itzhak Perlman solos) Orchestra.

Searching the internet we see this comment:

Disparagingly, a friend of mine thinks listeners are “only waiting for the finale’s fireworks”. I think any listeners thus blinkered miss much wonderful scenery, because Bruch’s characteristic refinement creates and encapsulates its own magical, mythical Scotland. Enjoy it - all - at your leisure.

Source: Commentary by Paul Serotsky – Max Bruch (1838 - 1920) – Scottish Fantasy, for Violin and Orchestra (1880) Typical attitude by hardcore classical music listeners. However, I would no way play the first four movements of that piece to a person who is not a devoted classical music listener. Why? Because the one thing I had against classical music before I really started to listening to it was that it was full of slow ponderous music heavy on the strings, and the first four movements are just that.

The elitist classical music fan typically rejects catchy music.

My first classical music recording I purchased was a record album of Mozart Violin Concertos and IIRC it was the #2 & #5 (Vienna Philharmonic, James Levine, & Itzhak Perlman). The opening movement of the #2 is a peppy piece and if it were slow & ponderous I would not be surprised to not being a classical music fan.

In fact, with all music usually a popular or catchy tune is what would lure me to purchase the recording. Then after listening to the whole thing I would find other pieces on the album that are better in some way.