This album revives a generous span of Bruch’s fascination with folk melody, from the cyclic sweep of the Swedish Dances to the darker-hued Russian inspirations of the Songs and Dances op. 79 in their original scoring for violin and piano – here given as a world premiere recording. Alternating light, agile Swedish movements with brooding Russian pages, the programme reveals how Bruch shaped simple tunes into finely crafted character pieces, rich in lyricism yet free of sentimentality. Duo Dauenhauer Kuen play with a supple, vocal approach to line and a keen ear for colour and rhythm, underlining the composer’s belief that true melody is the soul of music. Their own arrangements of selected songs for voice and piano further trace his lifelong attachment to the Lied, completing a portrait of a major Romantic whose artistry reaches far beyond his famous concerto.