Max Reger

Synopsis

German composer, organist, conductor, and teacher

• 1873 born in Brand, Bavaria
• 1901 moved to Munich
• 1907 moved to Leipzig, professor of composition at Leipzig Conservatory until his death
• 1916 died in Leipzig

Reger was the first German composer since J.S. Bach to devote so much of his compositional output to the organ. He believed strongly in absolute music, an ideal shared by Bach. Reger's pieces are incredibly pianistic and virtuosic, while still exploring the symphonic colors of the organ.

Points of Interest

• He received an honorary doctorate at the University Jena in 1911.
• The great organist Karl Straube continually challenged Reger to write him music that could not be played. Though Reger tried, Straube consistently thwarted his attempts, learning everything Reger set before him. (And now we organists are paying the price!)

For details, see the Wikipedia Article on Max Reger.

List of Organ Works

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Op. 135a	30 Kleine Choralvorspiele, op. 135a	year
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Background and General Perspectives on Performing Reger Organ Works

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Registration and Organs

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See the footnote in the "Notes" section at the bottom of the page.

Fingering and Pedaling

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Articulation and Phrasing

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Ornamentation

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Tempo and Meter

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Scores and Editions

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Recordings

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Free Online

Max Reger: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott Op.27, performed by Leonhard Voellm

Max Reger - Toccata and Fugue Op. 59, performed by Jos van der Kooij at the organ of the St. Bavo Church, Haarlem, The Netherlands

Pay to Listen

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Other Resources

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Notes

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