Max Reger: Orgelwerke

Max Reger's captivating album, Max Reger: Orgelwerke, is a masterful showcase of the composer's profound affinity for the organ. Released on 7 May 2024 via ALM RECORDS, this exquisite collection spans 1 hour and 2 minutes, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in Reger's intricate and expressive world.

The album presents a thoughtfully curated selection of Reger's most notable works, including the majestic Phantasie und Fuge über den Namen BACH, Op. 46, with its contrasting Phantasie and Fuge movements. Additionally, the album features an array of delicate and nuanced pieces from his 52 Leicht ausführbare Vorspiele zu den gebräuchlichsten evangelischen Chorälen, Op. 67, such as the beautiful Schmücke dich o liebe Seele and Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland.

Max Reger's 30 kleine Choralvorspiele, Op. 135a, are also represented, with the lovely Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren and Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier demonstrating the composer's ability to craft intimate and devotionally charged music. The album's centrepiece is the monumental Introduktion, Passacaglia und Fuge e-moll, Op. 127, a work of staggering complexity and beauty, with each movement showcasing Reger's technical mastery and emotional depth.

The album concludes with the serene Weihnachten, Op. 145: Das Schluss Choral, a peaceful and contemplative piece that brings the collection to a satisfying close. Throughout Max Reger: Orgelwerke, the composer's unique voice and vision are consistently evident, making this album an essential listening experience for fans of organ music and Reger's oeuvre.

Max Reger, born Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger in 1873, was a towering figure in German music, straddling the late Romantic and early Modernist eras. A prolific composer, pianist, organist, and conductor, Reger's music is renowned for its complexity and emotional depth, particularly his monumental fugues and organ works. Born in Brand, Bavaria, Reger's musical journey began under the tutelage of his parents and the local organist, leading him to become one of the most significant composers of organ music since Bach. His compositions, which include magnificent chorale-based and free works, reflect both the grandeur of German Romanticism and the innovative spirit of Modernism. Reger's legacy endures, celebrated by figures such as Paul Hindemith and Arnold Schoenberg, and his music continues to captivate audiences with its structural coherence and emotional resonance.