Be Careful What You Wish For—Bruch’s Blockbuster

Chicago’s own Sang Mee Lee will perform one of the most popular violin concertos of all time, Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto in G Minor, at the Evanston Symphony’s May 4 concert at 2:30 p.m. at the Pick-Staiger Concert Hall.

Max Bruch was widely respected in his day as a composer, conductor and teacher. He began sketching ideas for the piece—not only his first concerto but also his first large work for orchestra—in 1857, when he was 19. After the first performance in 1866, he withdrew the piece and asked for advice from both composers and violinists. Completed in 1868, it was an enormous hit in both Europe and eventually, the United States.

Unfortunately, Bruch’s success brought unforeseen consequences. In his day, he was a prolific composer of widely performed choral works, concertos and concert pieces, and a number of songs. But this violin concerto’s popularity overshadowed his other pieces, and his decision to sell the rights to the concerto for a one-time payment meant that he never received any money from its many performances. Near the end of his life, he tried to sell the original manuscript in the United States but was swindled out of any payment.

Join us at The Three 'B's concert, which also includes Barber’s Overture to The School for Scandal and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 in E Flat, Eroica. Tickets are available at evanstonsymphony.org or by calling 847-864-8804.