Max Bruch was a 19th-century German Romantic composer, best known for his Violin Concerto. This 2020 recording features pianists Mona and Rica Bard performing Bruch's two-piano concerto with the Staatskapelle Halle under conductor Ariane Matiakh. The concerto showcases Bruch's gift for romantic melody and orchestration—lush, sweeping, and technically demanding. The Suite on Russian Themes draws on folk melodies, giving it exotic color. This is a lovely recording of works that don't get performed often enough, combining 19th-century European sophistication with Eastern European character. If you want romantic-era piano music that goes beyond the usual suspects, this is a genuine find.