1. Andante – Allegro ma non troppo
2. Adagio
3. Allegro molto energico
4. Molto vivace


Max Bruch was born in Cologne, son of a police official and a highly talented singer. He received his first musical education from his mother and started composing at the age of nine. Ignaz Moscheles immediately recognized his talent, and at the age of 14 Bruch won the coveted Frankfurt Mozart-Stiftung Prize by submitting a string quartet. This enabled him to study with Hiller, Reinecke and Breunung, and his first substantial work was an opera based on a Goethe Singspiel. He travelled extensively throughout Germany, visiing Leipzig and other important musical areas but based himself in Mannheim. He composed his cantata Fithjof, which was received enthusiastically followed in 1863 by his opera Loreley which was conducted in Leipzig under the young Mahler (1887) and in Stuttgart under Pfitzner (1916).
After leaving Mannheim, Bruch visited Paris and Brussels, but eventually accepted the position of music director in Koblenz in 1865. His friendships with the violinists David, Joachim, Sarasate, and Willy Hess, inspired nine works for that instrument. Bruch loathed the piano, calling it a “dull rattle-trap” but adored the violin explaining that “ it can sing a melody much better than a piano, and melody is the soul of music.” Following an appointment in Sonderhausen and a brief conducting post in Berlin, Bruch moved to Bonn. In 1879 Bruch successfully conducted his secular oratorios Odysseus and Das Lied von der Glocke for the Philharmonic Society in Liverpool. Due to this Bruch was appointed to succeed Sir Julius Benedict as conductor to the Liverpool Philharmonic Society. His time in England was difficult but he didn't get along with the orchestra, complaining about their “rather lax standards.” Bruch left Liverpool in 1883 to become director of the Breslau Orchesterverein, where he stayed through the end of the season in 1890. He spent the last decades of his life in Berlin, working as a professor of composition until his retirement in 1910, and conducting master classes until his death in 1920. He was a highly respected teacher, with Respighi and Vaughan Williams among his students in his Berlin composition classes. He should have been a bigger name in music but he was overshadowed by the more popular Brahms and refused to change his style which was very much in reverence to the music of Mendelssohn and Schumann. Furthermore he was an outspoken critic of the New German School of Wagner and Liszt which made him exceedingly unpopular with critics and contemporaries. Bruch composed more than 200 works, among them operas, symphonies, large-scale dramatic works for chorus and orchestra, and a variety of concertos.
Bruch wrote his first numbered quartet, op. 9, in 1856 (not 1858 as often thought) at the age of 18. Bruch later attached the year 1858 to this work because he made minor revisions before the quartet was published in 1859. Bruch's string quartets are early works and it's a shame that he never returned to the medium after establishing his mature style as these are the work of a talented young composer who obviously studied Mendelssohn, Schumann, Schubert and Beethoven. As previously mentioned, the piece was composed in 1856 at the Igeler Hof, a country house in the hills near Bergisch Gladbach, where Bruch had visited since being twelve years old (family friends). In fact a lot of his music was written during summer stays there.
The Quartet is in four movements with a hefty 1st movement Allegro that succeeds a slow introduction. There's lots of soaring lines for the first violin and busy accompaniment. The music is bold and brassy with the Allegro ma non troppo being based on a lively first theme and a flowing, lyrical 2nd theme. There's no doubt that Bruch was inspired by Mendelssohn here and there's that fiery and yet tuneful quality to the music.
The following Adagio has a gentle, very lovely, lyrical main theme and sounds like a song without words. Later, a contrasting and livelier section breaks things up before a final return of the slower music to take us out peacefully.
The 3rd movement scherzo, Allegro molto energico, is highly energetic, stormy and has Beethoven written all over it. It's got a nice,, lyrical folk tune trio section which makes a second reappearance just before the coda.
The finale, Molto vivace, begins in tenser fashion until the music relaxes and turns into a dance, tarantella-like, with two highly enjoyable themes. The music chases and moves forward relentlessly. Bruch imbues it with agility and a considerable amount of jollity before the whole thing concludes with 2 strong chords.
It's a thoroughly enjoyable quartet and just as good a listen as the 2nd quartet. Yes, it's heavily Schumannesque, Beethovenesque and Mendelssohnesque but there's enough here to really enjoy.
A handful of recordings to go at.....

I wasn't enamoured with the Isos Quartet's recording of the 2nd quartet but this this one is better, however there's just not the level of ensemble here that's sufficient for me to recommend them wholeheartedly so I'd say look elsewhere even if this is not a 'bad' effort at all.
Australia's Goldner Quartet are better but play with rather clipped phrasing and allied with close dry sound, meaning it leaves their recording sounding a bit sparse. Don't get me wrong, it will suffice but it doesnt generate a lot of warmth, even if the ensemble playing is very good. Again, there are better. Poor balances with the violins being too high in the mix.
The Academica String Quartet are better still. They are more alive and spontaneous and play with what sounds like a lot of love for this work. They aren't the last thing in subtlety and can be a bit rough around the edges but their soundworld is interesting even if balances are a little off. Still an enjoyable, committed outing.
However for better quality playing, recording and realisation the two standout accounts here are from the Diogenes Quartet and the Mannheim String Quartet. Both are very impressibe in different ways too. The Mannheim Quartet take a leaf from the Academica Quartet's book and really launch into this work. The dynamics are powerful, phrasing up front and the recording quite in your face but it works and their edge here may sway some listeners.
The Diogenes Quartet (otherwise best known for their Schubert cycle) are in similar great form. Their sound is warmer, more rounded and homogeneous but their balances are lovely and there's a warm glow to this whole performance. It might not be as bold as the Mannheim but it's equally well balanced. Which of these two accounts you prefer is purely down to you and I'm loathed to split them. Both highly recommended.