Max Bruch was always an outspoken opponent of modernity in all its forms: his role models were Mendelssohn and Schumann, and his demons were named Wagner, Richard Strauss and Max Reger. When he died in 1920 (he was born in 1838), his soul had been shaken by Schönberg, Debussy, Stravinsky and the First World War, which he lived through as a grumpy old man. He was also vexed by the success of his First Violin Concerto, which overshadowed all the rest of his music, including this 1863 opera Die Loreley which the librettist had initially given to Mendelssohn before rather unenthusiastically taking the decision to take it on himself. However, the composer took care to stay within the romantic style of his time, turning out melodies that were related to the Lied and phrases borrowed from German folk music in an overall atmosphere which was 100% Germanic. The work was impeccably designed: a kind of dramatic crescendo that finishes by exploding into the final drama. This is a piece that certainly deserves applause on the international stage. © SM/Qobuz