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Synopsis

It might seem odd to think of Max Bruch as a 20th-century composer. After all, his three greatest hits \u2014 his Violin Concerto No. 1, his Scottish Fantasy for violin and orchestra, and his setting of the Hebraic liturgical chant Kol Nidrei for cello and orchestra \u2014 were all written in the 19th century.

But this archetypal German Romantic composer, who was born in 1838, lived to the ripe old age of 82, and kept producing new works up to the time of his death in 1920.

One of these, a Concerto for Two Pianos, was commissioned by an American duo piano team, Ottilie and Rose Suttro, who premiered it with Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra on today\u2019s date in 1916. The new work was well-received and its composer praised.

But there is a somewhat ironic historical footnote to this successful premiere: It appears the Suttro Duo drastically revised and even rewrote parts of Bruch\u2019s score for their 1916 performance, unbeknown to the composer. It wouldn\u2019t be until 1971 that the concerto was performed as he had actually written it.

Max Bruch (1838-1920) Concerto for Two Pianos; G\xfcher and S\xfcher Pekinel, pianos; Philharmonia Orchestra; Neville Marriner, cond. Chandos 9711