REGER: Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Mozart (1950 / 19

ORCHESTERLIEDER

The choice of sonatas for this album is by no means random, because both are landmarks in Reger‘s oeuvre. Sonata No. 4, written in 1903, brought Reger his breakthrough thanks to performances by the Belgian violinist Henri Marteau (always with Reger at the piano). From then on, alongside Richard Strauss, he was considered the ultimate exponent of modern music, either celebrated or feared, but always with recognition of his undoubted craftsmanship. The word “wild rain” is a fine characterization for the works of these years. Quite different is Reger‘s last contribution to this genre. Sonata No. 9, written a good year before his death, was particularly close to his heart. He himself spoke of a “completely new style”, and in fact the work stands out against some earlier compositions in its tendency towards motivic economy, combined with intensive work on details. The harmonic, motivic, tonally excessive expression, which had earned him the reputation of the “wild Reger”, is canceled here. - Johannes Prelle, trained with Max Rostal, was active in various German orchestras from 1964 on. From 1980 to 1996 he was the primarius of the Leonardo Quartet, which was particularly devoted to 20th century music. From 1986 to 2002 he headed a college class for violin and chamber music at the Wuppertal department of the Cologne University of Music.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Reger, M.: Organ Works, Vol. 3

REGER: Clarinet Quintet, Op. 146 / String Quartet, Op. 109

Max Reger (1873-1916) was the greatest German composer for organ after Johann Sebastian Bach. His extensive series of works for the instrument include the popular Toccata and Fugue in D minor and Fantasy and Fugue on B-A-C-H, the Symphonic Fantasia and Fugue, which he called his most technically challenging, and the glorious sequence of Choral Preludes, a body of work of huge complexity and transparency that reveals an inexhaustible variety and invention. Recorded over a fifteen-year period in stunning digital sound, this critically acclaimed series, now available in one all-encompassing 16CD box, features Reger's complete organ music played by twelve internationally admired organists - Wolfgang Ru�bsam, Christian Barthen, Josef Still and Kirsten Sturm among them - on seven different organs.

REGER: Mozart Variations Op. 132 / Hiller Variations Op. 100

REGER: Improvisationen / Humoresken / Traume am Kamin

Reger, M.: Organ Works, Vol. 1

Classical Music

Classical Music

Includes work(s) by Max Reger. Soloists: Nobuko Imai, Ronald Brautigam.