Bruch summed up his three-year appointment as court music director in Sondershausen (1867-1870) in 1870: "Sondershausen has been tremendously beneficial for me."
Here, he completed his famous Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, op 26, (an autograph of the composition is on display in the music department of the Sondershausen Castle Museum), created the 1st and 2nd Symphonies, and eight other compositions. Max Bruch also gained important experience in conducting concerts and operas in Sondershausen, and here, he also formed a lasting friendship with Philipp Spitta, Bach's first biographer.
