Reger: 6 Trios, Op. 47 / Introduction, Variations And Fugue, Op. 73

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Max Reger (1873-1916): Organ Works Volume 6Chorale Fantasia on 'Alle Menschen m??ssen sterben', Op. 52, No. 1Six Trios, Op. 47Introduction, Variations and Fugue in F sharp minor on an Original Theme, Op. 73Max Reger owed his earlier interest in music to theexample and enthusiasm of his father, a schoolmasterand amateur musician, and his early training to the townorganist of Weiden, Adalbert Lindner. Reger was bornin 1873 at Brand in the Upper Palatinate, Bavaria. Thefollowing year the family moved to Weiden and it wasthere that he spent his childhood and adolescence,embarking on a course of training as a teacher when heleft school. Lindner had sent examples of Reger's earlycompositions to his own former teacher, HugoRiemann, who accepted Reger as a pupil, at first inSondershausen and then, as his assistant, in Wiesbaden.Military service, which affected Reger's health andspirits, was followed by a period at home with hisparents in Weiden and a continuing series ofcompositions, in particular for the organ, including amonumental series of chorale fantasias and othercompositions, often, it seems, designed to challenge thetechnique of his friend Karl Straube, a noted performerof Reger's organ music.In 1901 Reger moved to Munich, where he spentthe next six years. His position in musical life was insome ways an uneasy one, since he was seen as achampion of absolute music and as hostile, at this time,to programme music, to the legacy of Wagner and Liszt.He was successful, however, as a pianist and wasgradually able to find an audience for his music. Theperiod in Munich brought the composition of hisSinfonietta, of chamber music, and of fine sets ofkeyboard variations on themes by Bach and Beethoven,followed in later years by his well-known variations ona theme by Mozart.1907 brought a change in Reger's life, when hetook the position of professor of composition at theUniversity of Leipzig, at a time when his music wasreaching a much wider public. This was supported byhis own distinction as a performer and concertappearances in London, St Petersburg, the Netherlands,and Austria, and throughout Germany. In 1911 he wasinvited by the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen to becomeconductor of the court orchestra, an ensembleestablished by Hans von B??low and once conducted byRichard Strauss, at the outset of his career. Reger heldthis position until the beginning of the war, when theorchestra was disbanded, an event that coincided withhis own earlier intention to resign. He spent his finalyears based in Jena, but continuing his active career asa composer and as a concert performer. He died inLeipzig in May 1916 on his way back from a concerttour of the Netherlands.The music of Max Reger has a special position inorgan repertoire, and he is regarded by many as thegreatest German composer of organ music since Bach.A Catholic himself, he nevertheless drew on Lutherantradition and the rich store of chorales, the inspirationfor chorale preludes, chorale fantasias and other works.