Max Reger

Late Romantic · 1873–1916

Max Reger saw himself as the heir of Bach and Brahms at a moment when music was rushing somewhere else. Born in 1873 in Brand, a small Bavarian town, he was trained in the organ-centered world of German church music and never really left it behind, producing a torrent of organ works, chamber music, songs, and orchestral pieces in a career of barely twenty years.

He worked at a punishing pace: composing, teaching at the Leipzig Conservatory, and conducting the famous court orchestra at Meiningen, often all at once. His music is thick with shifting harmonies and can feel dense on first hearing, but at his best he combines Bach-like craft with late Romantic warmth. The pace took its toll; he died of a heart attack in a Leipzig hotel in 1916, aged 43.

Start with the Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Mozart, which takes a gentle tune from a Mozart piano sonata and builds it into a glowing orchestral edifice.

164 works in the catalog, across 4 genres. Log what you listen to with Opus, the classical music journal for iPhone.

Chamber

2 String Quartets, op. 54
3 Suites for Cello, op. 131c
3 Suites for Viola, op. 131d
7 Sonatas, op. 91
8 Preludes and Fugues for Violin, op. 117
Albumblatt and Romanze, for violin and piano, op. 87
Albumblatt in B flat major, for clarinet and piano
Albumblatt in E flat major,for clarinet and piano
Cello Sonata no. 1 in F minor, op. 5
Cello Sonata no. 3 in F major, op. 78
Cello Sonata no. 4 in A minor, op. 116
Clarinet Quintet in A major, op. 146
Clarinet Sonata no. 1 in A flat major, op. 49, no. 1
Clarinet Sonata no. 2 in F sharp minor, op. 49, no. 2
Kleine Romanze for cello and piano, op. 79e/2
Little Sonata, for violin and piano in A major, op. 103b/2
Piano Quartet in A minor, op. 133
Piano Quartet in D minor, op. 113
Romance in G major, for violin and piano
Serenade in D for Flute, Violin and Viola no. 1, op. 77a
Serenade in G for Flute, Violin and Viola, op. 141a
Sonata, for cello and piano no. 2 in G minor, op. 28
Sonata, for violin and piano, no. 1 in D minor, op. 1
Sonata, for violin and piano, no. 4 in C major, op. 72
Sonata, for violin and piano, no. 5 in F sharp minor, op. 84
Sonata for Solo Violin in A minor, op. 91, no. 1
Sonata for Solo Violin in A minor, op. 91, no. 7
Sonata for Solo Violin in B flat major, op. 91, no. 3
Sonata for Solo Violin in B minor, op. 91, no. 4
Sonata for Solo Violin in E minor, op. 91, no. 5
Sonata for Solo Violin in G major, op. 91, no. 6
Sonata in B flat major for Viola and Piano, op. 107
String Quartet in D minor, op. 74
String Quartet in E flat major, op. 109
String Quartet in F sharp minor, op. 121
String Trio in A minor, op. 77b
String Trio in D minor, op. 141b
Suite in A minor, op. 103a, for violin and piano
Suite in F for Violin and Piano, op. 93, "Im alten Stil"
Tarantella in G minor, for clarinet and piano
Violin Sonata in A major, op. 41
Violin Sonata in D major, op. 3
Violin Sonata no. 6 in E minor, op. 122
Violin Sonata no. 7 in C major, op. 139
Wiegenlied, for violin and piano, op. 79d/1

Keyboard

Fantasia and Fugue on B-A-C-H, op. 46
3 Pieces, for organ, op. 7
4 Preludes and Fugues, op. 85
5 Easy Preludes and Fugues, for organ, op. 56
5 Humoreskes, op. 20
6 Burleskes. for piano 4-hands, op. 58
6 Intermezzi, op. 45
6 Pieces, op. 24
6 Pieces for Piano 4-hands, op. 94
6 Trios, op. 47
6 Waltzes, for piano 4-hands, op. 22
7 Pieces, op. 145
7 Silhouettes, op. 53
8 Improvisations, op. 18
9 Pieces, op. 129
10 Pieces, op. 69
12 Pieces, op. 59
12 Pieces, op. 65
12 Pieces, op. 80
12 Waltz-Caprices, for piano 4-hands, op. 9
13 Chorale Preludes, op. 79b
30 Little Chorale Preludes, op. 135a
52 Easy Chorale Preludes, op. 67
Aus der Jugendzeit, op. 17
Aus meinem Tagebuch, 35 Little Pieces for piano, op. 82
Ave Maria, op. 80, no. 5
Blätter und Blüten, 12 pieces
Chorale Fantasia, op. 27, "Ein' Feste Burg ist unser Gott"
Chorale Fantasia, op. 30, "Freu' dich sehr, o meine Seele"
Chorale Fantasias, op. 40
Chorale Fantasias, op. 52
Christ ist erstanden von dem Tod, chorale prelude
Es kommt ein Schiff geladen, chorale prelude
Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, op. 29
Fantasia and Fugue in D minor, op. 135b
Fantasie und Fuge in D minor, op. 135b
In der Nacht
Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue in E minor, op. 127
Introduction und Passacaglia in D minor
Komm susser Tod, chorale prelude
Monologe, 12 pieces, op. 63
O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden, for organ, WoO 4, no. 13
Organ Sonata no. 1 in F sharp minor, op. 33
Organ Sonata no. 2 in D minor, op. 60
Organ Suite no. 1 in E minor, op. 16, "Den Manen J.S. Bachs"
Organ Suite no. 2 in G minor, op. 92
O Traurigkeit, o Herzeleid
Passion, op. 154
Postlude in D minor, for organ, WoO 4, no. 12
Prelude and Fugue in D minor, for organ, WoO 4, no. 10
Prelude and Fugue in F sharp minor
Prelude and Fugue in G sharp minor, for organ
Prelude in C minor, for organ, WoO 8, no. 6
Romance for harmonium in A minor
Symphonic Fantasia and Fugue, op. 57, "Inferno"
Toccata in D minor
Traume am Kamin, 12 little pieces, op. 143
Variations and Fugue on an Original Theme in F sharp minor, op. 73
Variations and Fugue on a Theme of J.S. Bach, for piano, op. 81
Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Mozart for 2 pianos, op. 132a
Variations and Fugue on Heil dir im Siegerkranz
Wie schon leucht't uns der Morgenstern, for organ, WoO 4, no. 16

Orchestral

Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Mozart, op. 132
Ballet Suite in D major, op. 130
Konzert im alten Stil, for violin and orchestra, op. 123
Lyrisches Andante, for strings
Piano Concerto in F minor, op. 114
Scherzino for Horn and String Orchestra
Serenade in G major, op. 95
Symphonic Prologue to a Tragedy in A minor, op. 108
Variations and Fugue in E on a Theme of J.A. Hiller, op. 100
Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Beethoven, op. 86
Violin Concerto in A major, op. 101

Vocal

Psalm 100, for chorus, orchestra and organ, op. 106
2 Geistliche Gesänge, op. 19
2 Geistliche Lieder, mezzo-soprano or baritone and organ
2 Geistliche Lieder, mezzo-soprano or baritone and organ, op. 105
4 Gesänge, for soprano or baritone and piano, op. 88
4 Lieder, op. 97
5 Duets, for soprano, alto and piano, op. 14
5 Gesänge, op. 37
5 Gesänge, op. 98
5 Lieder, op. 8
6 Folk Songs
6 Gedichte von Anna Ritter, op. 31
6 Lieder, for mezzo-soprano or baritone and piano, op. 4
6 Lieder, op. 35
7 Lieder, op. 48
7 Sacred Folk Songs
8 Folk Songs
8 German Sacred Songs, op. 138
8 Lieder, op. 43
9 Folk Songs, for male chorus
10 Gesänge for male chorus, op. 83
10 Lieder, for mezzo-soprano or baritone and piano, op. 15
12 Geistliche Lieder, op. 137
12 German Sacred Songs, for chorus
12 Lieder An Hugo Wolf, op. 51
15 Lieder, op. 55
16 Gesänge, op. 62
17 Gesänge, op. 70
18 Gesänge, op. 75
20 Responses, for chorus
Abendlied, for 6 part chorus, op. 39, no. 2
Abendlied, for chorus and piano, op. 6, no. 3
An die Hoffnung, song for mezzo-soprano or alto and orchestra or piano, op. 124
Ehre, sei Gott in der Höhe, song for voice and organ
Frohsinn, chorus for male chorus, op. 38, no. 5
Geistliche Gesänge, op. 110
Lasset uns den Herren preisen, Easter motet for 5 voices
Lass mich dein sein und bleiben, church song
Liebeslieder, for voice and piano
Neue Kinderlieder, 5 songs for soprano or tenor and piano, op. 142
O Maria, sei gegrüßt
Schlichte Weisen, 60 Lieder, op. 76
Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her, cantata for soloists, 2 violins, children's chorus, chorus and organ
Wenn in bangen, trüben Stunden, sacred song for mezzo-soprano or baritone and organ
Wohl Denen, die ohne Tadel leben, sacred song for mezzo-soprano or baritone and organ
Zur Nacht, for chorus and piano, op. 6, no. 2, "Nun fallen die Augen müde"

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