Max Reger

Maximilian Reger (* March 19, 1873, Brand; † May 11, 1916, Leipzig) is considered an important composer of the transitional phase from late Romanticism to modernism, whose remarkably diverse work sometimes borders on the limits of traditional major-minor tonality. Initially only a music lover, Max Reger decided in 1888, following a performance of Richard Wagner's "Parsifal" in Bayreuth, to become a musician. He studied with Hugo Riemann at the Sondershausen Conservatory, lived with his parents in Weiden from 1898–1901 due to psychological problems, but used this time for his first compositions. Afterwards, he moved to Munich, became university music director and composition teacher in Leipzig in 1907, and directed the Meiningen Court Orchestra for several years. He was internationally successful as a pianist, organist, and conductor, but died early due to his exhausting artistic activity. In contrast to the programmatic aspirations of the New German School, following Franz Liszt, Reger understood his music as absolute, meaning far from extramusical influences. It was meant to be effective on its own, and therefore he concentrated on instrumental and orchestral sounds – which, however, did not prevent him from creating a significant vocal work (a planned opera project with a libretto by Ludwig Thoma was not realized). Reger composed several hundred works in almost all musical genres, with organ music forming a particular focus in its reception. His primary formal reference points were Baroque music and especially Johann Sebastian Bach. Among the highlights of Max Reger's work are his chorale fantasies, such as "Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott" op.27 (1898) or the "Fantasie und Fuge über B-A-C-H" op.46 (1900). His piano music culminated in three variation cycles on works by Bach, Telemann, and Beethoven (1904–14), and for chamber music, his six string quartets (1888–1911) became particularly important. In addition, he composed a cappella choirs and over 250 piano songs, more than 70 chorale preludes, two piano quartets, a string sextet, trios with various instrumentation, violin, cello, and piano sonatas, as well as opulent sacred pieces such as the choral work "Der 100. Psalm" op.106 (1908/09).