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Max Reger (Composer) |
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Born: March 19, 1873 - Brand, Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, Germany
Died: May 11, 1916 - Leipzig, Germany |
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The celebrated German composer Reger (Johann Baptist Joseph) Max(imilian) Reger, was the son of a school-teacher and amateur musician, who gave him instruction on the piano organ, and various string instruments. In 1874 the family moved to Weiden, where he studied organ and theory with Adalbert Lindner. He then attended the teacher-training college; after visiting the Bayreuth Festival in 1888, he decided on a career in music. He went to Sondershausen to study with Riemann in 1890, and continued as his pupil in Wiesbaden (1890-1893).
From 1890 to 1896, Max Reger was active as a teacher of piano, organ, and theory. Following military service, he returned to Weiden in 1898 and wrote a number of his finest works for organ. He went to Munich in 1901, first gaining general recognition as a pianist and later as a composer; was professor of counterpoint at the Königliche Akademie der Tonkünst (1905-1906). Prominent compositions from this period included the Piano Quintet, op. 64 (1901-1902), the Violin Sonata, op. 72 (1903), the String Quartet op. 74 (1903-1904), the Variationen und Fuge über ein Thema von J.S. Bach for Piano, op. 81 (1904), and the Sinfonietta, op. 90 (1904-1905). He went to Leipzig as music director of the University (1907-1908) and as professor of composition at the Conservatory (from 1907).
Max Reger's fame as a composer was enhanced by his successful tours as a soloist and conductor in Germany and throughout Europe. While he continued to produce major chamber works and organ pieces, he also wrote such important orchestral compositions as the Variationen und Fuge über ein lustiges Thema von J.A. Hiller, op. 100 (1907), the Violin Concerto, op. 101 (1907-1908), the Sympbonischer Prolog zu einer Tragödie, op. 108 (1908), the Piano Concerto, op. 114 (1910), and the Variationen und Fuge über ein Thema von Mozart, op. 132 (1914). As a result, having been awarded an honorary Ph.D. from the University of Jena in 1908, he composed his most distinguished sacred work, the Psalm C, op. 106 (1908-1909). He was called to Meiningen as conductor of the Court Orchestra in 1911, assuming the title Hofkapellmeister. He was also Generalmusikdirektor (1913-1914). He settled in Jena in 1915.
Max Reger was an extraordinarily gifted musician, widely respected as a composer, pianist, organist, conductor and teacher. A master of polyphonic and harmonic writing, he carried on the hallowed Classical and Romantic schools of composition. Although he wrote major works in nearly every genre, his music has not found a place of permanence in the repertoire. |
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Source: Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of 20th Century Classical Musicians (1997)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (December 2005) |
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Max Reger : Short Biography | PT: Works | Recordings | Orchestral Transcriptions: Works | Recordings |
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Use of Chorale Melodies in his works |
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Title |
Chorale Melody |
Year |
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Chorale Fantasia for Organ Alle Menschen müssen sterben Op.52 |
Alle Menschen müssen sterben (Zahn 6778) |
1900 |
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Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Her , Chorale Prelude for organ, Op. 67/1 |
Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr |
1902 |
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Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Her , Chorale Prelude for organ, Op. 135a/2 |
Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr |
1914 |
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Christus der ist mein Leben , Chorale Prelude for Organ, Op. 79b/9 |
Christus, der ist mein Leben |
1901-1903 |
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Christus der ist mein Leben , Chorale Prelude for Organ, Op. 67/5 |
Christus, der ist mein Leben |
1902 |
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Dir, dir, Jehova will ich singen , Chorale Prelude for organ Op. 67/7 |
Dir, dir, Jehova, will ich singen |
1902 |
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1st Suite for Organ op. 16 |
Es ist das Heil uns kommen her |
1894-1895 |
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Chorale for Organ Es ist das Heil uns kommen her / Sei Lob und Ehr’ dem höchsten Gut, Op. 67/10 |
Es ist das Heil uns kommen her |
1902 |
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Chorale for Organ Es ist das Heil uns kommen her, Op. 135a/7 from 30 kleine Choral Vorspiele |
Es ist das Heil uns kommen her |
1914 |
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Phantasie über den Choral Freu' dich sehr, o meine Seele, Op. 30 |
Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele |
1898 |
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Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele , Chorale Prelude for Organ, Op. 67/11 |
Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele |
1902 |
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Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele , Chorale Prelude for Organ, Op. 135a/9 |
Freu dich sehr, o meine Seele |
1914 |
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O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht , Chorale Prelude for Organ, Op. 67/32 |
Herr Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht |
1902 |
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Jesu meine Freude , Chorale Prelude for Organ, Op. 67/21 |
Jesu, meine Freude |
1902 |
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O Jesulein süß , folk song for chorus (7 Sacred Folk Songs, No. 6) |
Komm, heilger Geist, mit deiner Genad |
1699 |
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Komm susser Tod , Chorale Prelude for organ |
Komm süßer Tod |
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Lasset uns den Herren preisen , Easter motet for 5 voices |
Lasset uns den Herren preisen |
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Machs mit mir, Gott , Chorale Prelude for Organ, Op. 67/27 |
Machs mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt |
1902 |
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Meinem Jesum laß ich nicht , Chorale Prelude for Organ, Op. 67/26 |
Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht |
1902 |
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Setting of Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht for Soprano, Mixed Choir, Violin, Viola., and Organ |
Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht |
1905/1906 |
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Meinem Jesum laß ich nicht , Chorale Prelude for Organ, Op. 135a/17 |
Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht |
1914 |
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Mit Fried und Freud fahr ich dahin , Chorale Prelude for Organ, Op. 79b/5 |
Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin |
1901-1903 |
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Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland , Chorale Prelude for Organ Op. 67/29 |
Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland |
1902 |
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O Gott, du frommer Gott , Chorale Prelude for Organ, Op. 67/31 |
O Gott, du frommer Gott |
1902 |
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O Gott, du frommer Gott , Chorale Prelude for Organ, Op. 135a/20 |
O Gott, du frommer Gott |
1914 |
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O wie selig seid ihr doch , Chorale Prelude for organ, Op. 67/35 |
O wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen |
1902 |
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O wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen , cantata for soprano, chorus, strings & organ |
O wie selig seid ihr doch, ihr Frommen |
1904 |
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Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele , Chorale Prelude for Organ, Op. 67/36 |
Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele |
1902 |
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Seelenbräutigam , Chorale Prelude for organ, Op. 67/37 |
Seelenbräutigam |
1902 |
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Straf' mich nicht in deinem Zorn , Chorale Fantasia for organ, Op. 40/2 |
Straf mich nicht in deinem Zorn |
1899 |
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Valet will ich dir geben , Chorale Prelude for Organ, Op. 135a/23 |
Valet will ich dir geben |
1914 |
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Vater unser im Himmelreich , Chorale Prelude for organ, Op. 67/41 |
Vater unser im Himmelreich |
1902 |
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Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan , Chorale Prelude for Organ, Op. 67/46 |
Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan |
1902 |
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Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan , ChoralePrelude for Organ, Op. 135a/26 |
Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan |
1914 |
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Chorale Prelude for organ Was mein Gott will, das gscheh allzeit, Op. 135a/27 |
Was mein Gott will, das g’scheh allzeit |
Sep 1914 |
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Werde munter, mein Gemüte , Chorale Prelude for Organ, Op. 67/49 |
Werde munter, mein Gemüthe |
1902 |
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Wie wohl ist mir, o Freund der Seelen , Chorale Prelude for organ, Op. 67/52 |
Wie wohl ist mir |
1902 |
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Arrangements of J.S. Bach's Works |
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Title |
J.S. Bach's Work |
Year |
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Aria O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß (Mvt. 29) from Matthäus Passion BWV 244 |
Matthäus Passion BWV 244 |
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Goldberg Variations BWV 988, arrangement for two pianos by Josef Rheinberger, revised by Max Reger |
Goldberg Variations BWV 988 |
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