Some composers have had to live in the shadow of a great predecessor, most famously Brahms, looking over his shoulder at Beethoven.
But Max Bruch lived his long life in the shadow of one of his own works, his always popular 1865 First Violin Concerto, which he naively sold for a flat fee, foregoing all royalties.
Unlike many of the composers of the greatest violin concertos, who left only a single work in the genre, he tried again and again, without ever hitting the bullseye a second time.
The musicianly and sweet-toned British violinist Jack Liebeck is careful not to press either the substantial Serenade (1899) or Romance (1874) for more than they can yield, and makes sure nothing in the concerto sounds faded.
