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2005 Boydell paperback. Light shelfwear, light crease in spine, rubbing to pg edges. Binding solid & text clean. ISBN 9781843831365. Ready to ship. 2005 Boydell paperback. Light shelfwear, light crease in spine, rubbing to pg edges. Binding solid & text clean. ISBN 9781843831365. Ready to ship. See less
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Max Bruch: His Life and Works Paperback – Illustrated, July 15, 2005

by Christopher Fifield (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 11 ratings
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In this book - the only full-length study of the composer - the author provides a richly documented account of Bruch's career as music director and composer.

Max Bruch (1838-1920), the German composer best known for his Violin Concerto in G minor, was in his day, a famous conductor and teacher as well as a prolific composer; yet he has been sadly neglected, perhaps in comparison to hiscontemporary Brahms. In this book - the only full-length study of Bruch - the author provides a richly documented account of Bruch's career as music director and composer, including a spell with the Liverpool Philharmonic Societyfrom 1880-1883, and as a teacher at the Royal Academy of Arts in Berlin from 1892 until his retirement in 1911, where Vaughan Williams was one his pupils; he paints a picture of a proud and sensitive man, whose talents were perhaps left behind at a time of rapid musical development. The book also offers a musical analysis of his one hundred published works, including three operas.

CHRISTOPHER FIFIELD is foremost a conductor, but also a writeron music history (Grove, DNB, Viking Opera Guide, Oxford Companion to Music), the author of a biography of Hans Richter, the editor of the letters and diaries of Kathleen Ferrier, and a recent history of the music agents Ibbs and Tillett.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    408 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Boydell Press
  4. Publication date
    July 15, 2005
  5. Dimensions
    5.76 x 1 x 8.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1843831368
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1843831365
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

The return of Fifield's excellent biography to the ranks of books in print is very welcome indeed. ― H-NET REVIEWS

Bruch deserves a full-scale study and this is what he and his music gets...This is the work on Bruch but its merit lies not only in being the only book but in the detail, pacing and presentation of Bruch's life. The humanising communicative faculty that Mr Fifield brings to bear lifts the book from mere gap-filling as does its evident determination to lift Bruch from the slough of one-work composers. In all these ways the book and its author bears the laurels of victory. ― MUSIC WEB INTERNATIONAL

Richly documented account of Bruch's career. ― TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT

About the Author

CHRISTOPHER FIFIELD is foremost a conductor, but also a writer on music history (Grove, DNB, Viking Opera Guide, Oxford Companion to Music), the author of a biography of Hans Richter, the editor of the letters and diaries of Kathleen Ferrier, and a recent history of the music agents Ibbs and Tillett.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Boydell Press (July 15, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 408 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1843831368
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1843831365
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.51 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.76 x 1 x 8.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 11 ratings

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Christopher Fifield

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4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
11 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Robert E. Morrell
5.0 out of 5 stars Time to Rediscover Bruch?
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2008
Verified Purchase
Whatever may be the matter with the times we live in, we can at least take some comfort in having escaped from a century largely dominated by musical cognoscenti who insisted that music was not music! (The details are lucidly described in Alex Ross's landmark study, "The Rest is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century" -- required summer reading if you don't have a copy already.)

Max Bruch (1838-1920) was not so lucky, but he kept the faith: that music was fundamentally about music. The price he paid for this attitude was that for some time his work has been largely overlooked. It is positively amazing that to this day Christopher Fifield's biography is still "the only full-length study of Bruch."

Many are familiar with Bruch's beautiful Violin Concerto in G minor, often the first major concerto attempted by young violinists. Less well known, but just as musical, is his "Scottish Fantasy" for violin and orchestra. And, of course, the great arrangement of "Kol Nidrei," for cello, and any number of other instruments.

That is just a small part of Bruch's output. He composed three violin concertos, three symphonies, oratorios, chamber music, choral music, etc. Fortunately, much of this has been recorded and is available through Amazon.com.

Fifield's book may seem a little pricey, but it is thorough, well-documented, well-written -- and there are no alternatives. So your decision is easy.
8 people found this helpful
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Stephen S. Trott
5.0 out of 5 stars The Essence of Bruch
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2005
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I am the pre-concert speaker for all the symphonic programs of the Boise Philharmonic Association and a guest speaker for the Seattle Symphony. My challange is to bring to life the composers and to create a meaningful context for their works so that the audience can get the most out of each performance. This book contains everything one needs to know about this arresting romantic composer who wrote two of the most beautiful pieces aver written: his Violin Concerto in g minor and his Scottish Fantasy. Bruch's secret? The inspiration of folksong and folk music. The grace, simplicity, the authenticity, and the unalloyed power of the voice of humanity taught him how to write orchestral music that will endure forever. It is all in this excellent book, a perfect companion to his musical masterpieces.
12 people found this helpful
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Eric Jolley
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2014
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well written detailed life story of one of my favourite composers. very interesting detailed life.
paper back book in as new condition
2 people found this helpful
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L. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars A thorough look at Max Bruch
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2007
Verified Purchase
Well and engagingly written, this book gives a lively look into the life of a composer who is now known for only a handful of the nearly 100 works he wrote and who deserves a better fate than that.
4 people found this helpful
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A. Wolfniak
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2015
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excellent
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Dr. H. A. Jones
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the less well known German Romantic composers
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2013
Max Bruch: His life and works by Christopher Fifield, Victor Gollancz, London, 1988; 2nd edn. The Boydell Press, Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK, 2005, 400 ff.

A lesser known German Romantic composer

There can be few music lovers who do not know the Violin Concerto No.1 in g minor by Max Bruch. But, somewhat to the composer's frustration, this is almost the only composition of his that is heard regularly in the concert hall or over the airways - either now or even during his lifetime. It is in fact only one of three violin concertos Bruch composed and its greater popularity is probably due to its use of lovely, long-breathed melodies to a greater extent than the other two concertos. But Bruch composed music in other forms too - much choral music, three symphonies, a concerto for two pianos, a Serenade and a Scottish Fantasy for violin and orchestra, and an Adagio and the quite lovely Kol Nidrei for cello and orchestra. This last piece was composed to accompany the declaration in the synagogue at the start of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement; and Bruch also composed an oratorio on the subject of Moses. Probably as a result of these compositions, especially the former, he was thought to be Jewish, but that was not the case.

Bruch also wrote some lovely chamber music - two string quartets, two string quintets, a piano quintet and a string octet, all currently available on CD. Musical examples are used sparingly in this book, which works chronologically through the life of this composer and conductor, bringing in the compositions at the appropriate time of his life when they were written. However, descriptive musical analyses as well as his social interactions are given in sufficient detail to give the reader a real sense of involvement in the life of the man and his music. When this book was originally written (1980s) there existed no other biography of Max Bruch, even in German. The book ends with a list of his compositions and those who were significant figures in his life, and a general index. For this second edition, there is also an interesting 35-page Appendix listing works that Bruch conducted for the three years that he was Court Music Director in the town of Sondershausen.

 Bruch: Piano Quintet/String Quintet/Octet
Bruch: 2 String Quartets
Bruch: The Complete Symphonies
3 people found this helpful
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mr. Wytze O.W. Buitenrust Hettema
5.0 out of 5 stars This biography is the only one that covers the life and compositions of Max Bruch in detail.
Reviewed in Germany on March 28, 2024
Verified Purchase
This biography is the only one that covers the life and compositions of Max Bruch in detail.
Fifield writes fascinatingly and is knowledgeable.
I love Max Bruch's music, which is unfairly underplayed.
I enjoy reading the biography on the couch with appropriate music in the background.
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mr. Wytze O.W. Buitenrust Hettema
5.0 out of 5 stars This biography is the only one that covers the life and compositions of Max Bruch in detail.
Reviewed in Germany on March 28, 2024
This biography is the only one that covers the life and compositions of Max Bruch in detail.
Fifield writes fascinatingly and is knowledgeable.
I love Max Bruch's music, which is unfairly underplayed.
I enjoy reading the biography on the couch with appropriate music in the background.
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the traveller
4.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest Composers
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2023
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Have loved Bruch's music forever...This is the first book I have read on his Life and Works and it is very detailed and so informative..the author studied his subject very thoroughly. A wonderful read.
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Colpalu
4.0 out of 5 stars Pas de traduction en Français ?
Reviewed in France on February 3, 2011
Verified Purchase
Ici nous avons la seule biographie tant soit peu complète de Max Bruch .Qui n'était certes pas à l'avant-garde de la musique , mais nous a toutefois laissé quelques musiques fort agréables à écouter ,dont le fameux Concerto pour Violon.
Pardi , notre compositeur avait une famille de quatre enfants à nourrir ,ce qui n'incite sans doute pas à se montrer trop aventureux .
Chers amis mélomanes , ne laissez pas les Grands Inquisiteurs de la musique vous dicter ce que vous devez écouter .
Jugez vous même sur pièces .
Ce livre vous donnera peut-être envie de découvrir d'autres oeuvres de notre cher compositeur .Dommage qu'il n'existe qu'en Anglais ,alors lançons un appel aux éditeurs pour que soit ils traduisent le bouquin en Français , soit demandent à une bonne plume Française d'écrire une belle monographie .
3 people found this helpful
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basil
4.0 out of 5 stars which I would like to hear again before giving an opinion Life was ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 14, 2014
Verified Purchase
still reading it. His range of music, both choral and orchestral are rarely heard. Today, by co-incidence, I heard on radio 3 his 3rd Violin concerto, which I would like to hear again before giving an opinion Life was not good to him in his later years.
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