Max Bruch was born on January 6, 1838 in Cologne, Germany but then died on October 2. 1920 in Berlin, Germany. Max spent most of his life in Germany where he was born and raised. His mother was a soprano and singing teacher and was the primary source of Bruch’s musical career. From her, he learnt his first piano lessons. He underwent his first official musical training under composer and pianist, Ferdinand Hiller. At the age of 9, performing an outstanding musical talent, Bruch wrote his first composition. He also wrote a symphony at the age of 14 and won a scholarship that aided him to study at Cologne. His first opera, Scherz, List und Rache, were performed in 1858. Max was a german romantic composer who wrote over 200 books, three violin …show more content…
His social status reflected through his concerts and his solos made him a celebrity of his time in Europe and America. Bruch's most popular work is his romantic Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor (1868), a significant piece in the standard violin era. It is inspired from the ideas of Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor. Bruch passionately promoted the values of traditional and folk music and strongly opposed the principles of the 'Neudeutsche' composition school. Max Bruch’s second most famous work is Kol Nidrej which is the single movement piece for orchestra and cello. This piece was inspired by an invocation from the Jewish Yom Kippur service which reflects the name of this piece. He always refrained from composing dark and serious compositions and popular harmonious tunes and splendor of sound. Max Bruch also conducted several works, including a set of eight pieces for piano, viola, clarinet and a string octet. In 1912, for the American duo-pianists Rose and Ottilie Sutro, Bruch conducted the Concerto in A flat minor for two pianos and orchestra. Through his promising and satisfying career, Bruch held many conducting positions and even taught for 20 years at the Berlin