Max Reger - Alle Orgelwerke Vol 4:

MAX REGER

• Wie schön leucht't uns der Morgenstern, Op 40 No 1.
• Hallelujah! Gott zu loben, bleibe meine Seelenfreud, Op 52 No 3.
• Monologe, Op 63 - Introduction in F minor; Passacaglia in F minor.
• 12 Pieces, Op 59 -Kyrie eleison; Gloria in excelsis Deo; Benedictus; Capriccio (Scherzo); Melodia; Te Deum

Josef Still organ, Naxos 8 555905 (77 minutes: DDD), Played on the Klais organ of Trier Cathedral, Germany

Besprechung in www.musicweb.uk.net

It is often difficult to contextualize the works of certain composers wholly in terms of their own time and location. Each man is inevitably compared to his forebears, whether for good or ill, and categorized through perceived commonality, regardless of the validity of such claims. For instance, Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms are almost always linked not merely due to their greatness, but also because of their common motherland and the alphabetic proximity of their surnames. Thus Max Reger cannot avoid being compared to J.S. Bach due to the shared German heritage, large bodies of religious work based on Lutheran melodies, and their definitive work for the organ. However, in truth it would be hard to name a greater German composer of organ music post-Bach than Reger. This latest release by Naxos goes far in making just such a case.

Reger’s organ music tends to be highly dramatic and expressive, taking full advantage of the bright bombast and deep thunder so common in traditional organ music, while alternately exploring the under-utilized intimacy that a well made organ can produce. As he was a Catholic by faith, he wrote much for the mass, including many of the tracks on this CD. He also borrowed liberally from the melodies of his Lutheran brethren, as displayed in the opening and closing tracks also contained here.

The selections are well chosen, and are from the heart of Reger’s musical career. Written between 1899 and 1902, and characteristically emotive to the point of emotional exhaustion, they are perfectly indicative of what makes Reger so great. These pieces are both incredibly texturally dense while still completely tonal and approachable. From a compositional standpoint, they are virtuosic explorations of the symphonic colors of the organ and testaments to his belief in absolute music, contrasting the program music of his contemporaries Wagner and Liszt. He tells no stories, paints no literal pictures, but pulls emotions directly out of his listeners, assuming that the musician is capable of playing the works as Reger intended.

Josef Still, the organist bringing Reger’s music to life, does an outstanding job of interpreting these virtuosic works without apparent difficulty. Indeed, the music seems to channel itself through him, flowing out with grace and subtlety when appropriate, and with intensity and exuberance when allowed. The instrument itself is a magnificent four-manual Klais organ installed in 1974 and housed in the oldest church north of the Alps, with portions dating to the 4th century AD. The recording does much to showcase the versatility of this instrument and the virtuosity of Mr. Still.

If you are not familiar with the organ works of Max Reger, this recording would make an excellent introduction. They are not overly-intellectual or difficult to approach; they are made to sound easy even when they are at their most challenging. Indeed, Reger’s brilliance is beautifully showcased throughout each selection in a setting that is incredibly appropriate to the music, both in terms of geography and the characteristic timbre he would have desired. I heartily recommend this recording to any collector.

Patrick Gary

Quelle: http://www.musicweb.uk.net/classrev/2004/Jan04/reger_organ4.htm.

Besprechung in "GRAMOPHONE" February 2004

Reger playing of the highest order in an altogether substantial programme that benefits from an exemplary recording. Naxos's fine survey of Reger's organ works has now reached Volume 4. To those who have not heard the previous discs this new release makes an ideal introduction, containing, as it does, three blockbusters interspersed by half a dozen shorter works from the Op 59 set of Twelve Piec

This is Reger playing of the highest order. Josef Still's interpretations are note-perfect, lucid, flamboyant and sensitive in equal measure and utterly compelling; he has total mastery of these immensely complex scores. He is helped, of course, by the beautifully balanced choruses of the 1974 Klais organ which is perched high up on a nave wall in Trier Cathedral, the oldest church north of the Alps. Reger's organ music can often be (literally) over-blown; but Still manages to provide solidity without congestion, conjuring a fabulous wealth of tonal variety, while keeping - in terms of sheer power — a little something extra in reserve.

Reger sometimes lacks the finesse and poetry of his younger contemporary, Karg-Elert, and some listeners might prefer to enjoy this hefty meal in smaller portions. However, the recording quality and production are exemplary, which they should be, since they are both the responsibility of Wolfgang Rübsam, no mean organist himself!

Malcolm Riley

Besprechung im Magazin "de Orgelvriend"
maandblad voor orgelliefhebbers, 46. Jahrgang Nr. 11 (november 2004), s. 34.

Max Reger Organ Works Vol. 4
In februari van dit jaar besprak het lang verwachte derde deel in de serie Reger-opnamen op Naxos. Niet lang daarna verscheen ook Volume 4, opgenomen op het Klais-orgel (1974) in de Dom van Trier. Dit origineel vormgegeven ‘zwaluwnestorgel’ is qua klank verwant aan het orgel in de Dom van Würzburg en veel andere instrumenten van Klais waarmee Noord-Duitsland bezaaid lijkt te zijn. Herkenbaar door de (niet onaangename) “Spuck” en de kwinterende pedaaltonen. Door zijn transparantie heel geschikt voor Reger, dat wel. Het Trierer orgel bevat een aantal mooie romantische stemmen, zoals in de zes delen uit Opus 59 te horen is. Daaronder wat wordt genoemd de “kleine Orgelmesse” (Kyrie eleison – Gloria in excelsis – Benedictus) en Melodia, mooi poëtisch gespeeld, met een 8-voets prestant als solostem (geen 8- en 2 2/3-combinatie zoals in Nederland welhaast gebruikelijk).

Josef Still voelt zich duidelijk als een vis in het water in dit repertoire, getuige zijn gestructureerde uitvoeringen van de ‘Wie schön’-fantasie en de Introduktion und Passcaglia f-Moll uit de Monologe opus 63. De spanning blijft tot het einde toe voelbaar. Bepaald overrompelend is zijn aanpak van de koraalfantasie ‘Hallelujah! Gott zu loben bleibe meine Seelenfreud’, virtuoos en met flair. Ik heb er niet veel woorden voor nodig: een magnifieke cd voor een zeer vriendelijke prijs.

De opname is wat “smal” en aan de directe kant. Een lezer stuurde mij enige tijd geleden een eigen opname uit diezelfde Trierer Dom die bewijst dat een levensechtere weergave mogelijk is!

Gerco Schaap