Ignaz Brüll: Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 41

Ignaz Brüll

(7 November 1846 – 17 September 1907)

was a Moravian-born pianist and composer who lived and worked in Vienna.

Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 41

I. Allegro con brio 0:00
II. Molto moderato, quasi andante 14:17
III. Allegro 23:17

Ilya Hoffman, violin
Malta Philharmonic Orchestra
Michael Laus, conductor

 His operatic compositions included Das Goldene Kreuz (The Golden Cross), which became a repertory work for several decades after its first production in 1875, but eventually fell into neglect after being banned by the Nazis because of Brüll's Jewish origins. He also wrote a small corpus of finely crafted works for the concert hall and recitals. Brüll's compositional style was lively but unabashedly conservative, in the vein of Mendelssohn and Schumann. Brüll was also highly regarded as a sensitive concert pianist. Johannes Brahms regularly wanted Brüll to be his partner in private performances of four-hand piano duet arrangements of his latest works. Indeed, Brüll was a prominent member of Brahms's circle of musical and literary friends, many of whom he and his wife frequently entertained. In recent years, Brüll's concert music has been revived on CD, and well received recordings are available of his piano concertos, among other non-vocal works.. Orchestral concert works by Brüll include the Im Walde and Macbeth overtures, a symphony and three serenades, a violin concerto, and two piano concertos, as well as three other piano concertante pieces. His chamber and instrumental music includes a suite and 3 sonatas for piano and violin, a trio, a cello sonata, and a sonata for two pianos and various other piano pieces. He also wrote songs and part-songs. In 1872 he was appointed professor at the Horak Institute in Vienna. Brüll was honorary British consul at Budapest, and was appointed an Honorary Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1902 Coronation Honours list on 26 June 1902.