The University of Cologne acquires letters belonging to the composer Max Bruch

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Insights from the Max Bruch Archive at the University of Cologne. | Download

The letters shed light on the German musical scene in the second half of the 19th century and its interconnection with cultural, historical, and political developments

The Institute of Musicology at the University of Cologne has acquired a collection of letters written by the Romantic composer Max Bruch (*1838; † 1920). The collection was procured for 95,000 euros with the support of funds from the Rhineland State Association, the Kulturstiftung der Länder and the university. Born in Cologne, Bruch is arguably the city’s most famous composer alongside Jacques Offenbach. His creative period spanned the second half of the 19th century. Although he did not achieve the fame of his contemporary, Johannes Brahms, Bruch’s First Violin Concerto became a global hit and remains a staple of the classical violinist’s repertoire.

The letters include correspondence between Bruch and his colleague Ernst Rudorff in Berlin. In addition to insights into Bruch’s creative process, the letters contain a wealth of information about the German musical scene in the second half of the 19th century and, in particular, its interconnection with the cultural, historical, and political events of the time. Topics such as antisemitism and militarism are addressed, making the letters an extremely valuable historical collection.

The Max Bruch Archive at the University of Cologne’s Institute of Musicology collects and preserves documents relating to the composer’s life and work, making them available to researchers. It was founded in 1949 by Ewald Bruch, a son of the composer. Starting with a few manuscripts that were still in the family’s possession at the time, the collection was gradually expanded into an extensive archive through purchases and donations. The Max Bruch Archive has belonged to the Institute of Musicology at the University of Cologne since 1966. Since then, the archive’s holdings have been continually expanded.

The library of the Institute of Musicology is open to the public. Documents kept at the Archive can be scanned and sent by Email upon request.

Wissenschaftlicher Ansprechpartner:
Professor Dr Frank Hentschel
Institute of Musicology
+49 221 478 2249
frank.hentschel@uni-koeln.de

The University of Cologne acquires letters belonging to the composer Max Bruch

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