Dear Reger enthousiasts,
the german organist Gerd Zacher said, the infinite sound of the organ pipes gives us an immediate impression of time.
Organ playing is good for ability of the musician in fullfilling the course of time by creation of hight organized sound structure. Zacher, a philosopher in music indeed, leaves several intelligent essays about organ music – demonstrating an extraordinary level of understanding history of music. But his prime qualification: his rare talent as organist, including organ composition: a real outstanding person representing the art of german organ playing. And an excellent Reger player!
Time starts and comes to an end. Music is the same.
That means, the beginning never comes back, each interpretation is unique. Reaching the end, only new things begin, never the same. A very hard task for the listener, no chance to dwell on a detail. Time is inexorable. Imagine Reger’s works! So complicated. And the interpreter? A hard task too. To play Reger’s organ works with all details, but giving the chance to the listeners to follow moment by moment.
In Reger’s life time the german factory ‘Welte & Söhne’ invented an amazing system of recording organ playing: the ‘Welte-Philharmonie-Orgel’. The technic of this system using rolls remained obscure till our time. Indeed, since more than 100 years interpretation of Reger’s organ compositions is more than difficile and there are many opinions about the main aspects of this matter. But we have a unique and precious document, which gives a clear direction about the composer’s intention concerning the interpretation of his organ works: the Welte rolls, played by Reger h i m s e l f . Reger practised organ playing since his childhood, but not as organ virtuoso. After his appropriation as one of the great german composers after 1900 he saw, that most of musicians were confused by the very new and intricate style by Reger. So he decided to perform his works himself, in the most cases chamber music, to create a tradition in performance, to show his intentions and to prevent any misunderstanding of the scores. That’s the reason for him to accept the engagement by the Welte shop and to play own organ works for the ‘Welte-Philharmonie-Orgel’. Fortunatly the original master rolls survived and I’m very happy to have the autorisation for analysing these precious paper rolls with 16 organ pieces by Reger, played by Reger!
But we must deeply regret the lacks in the pure knowledge of the Welte technics, because no exact examination of the Welte system took place any time. All actual acoustic renderings are doubious!
Recently I began to analyse the original master rolls played by Reger.
In future I hope to present some results delivered by my inquieries.
All enthousiasts of Reger’s organ compositions must be happy, that it was the composer himself, who played 1913 the very first interpretations of Reger’s organ music, preserved by the famous Welte rolls! He played the following pieces:
Fuge G-Dur op. 56 Nr. 3
Benedictus op. 59 Nr. 9
Melodia op. 59 Nr. 11
Canzone op. 65 Nr. 9
Sieben Choralvorspiele aus op. 67
Nr. 20 Jesus, meine Zuversicht
Nr. 23 Lobt Gott, ihr Christen alle gleich
Nr. 25 Mach’s mit mir,Gott, nach deiner Güt‘
Nr. 33 O Welt, ich muß dich lassen
Nr. 45 Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten
Nr. 50 Wie wohl ist mir o Freund der Seelen
Nr. 52 O wie selig seid ihr doch
Moment musical op. 69 Nr. 4
Romanze op. 80 Nr. 8
Ave Maria op. 80 Nr. 5
Praeludium F-Dur op.85 Nr. 3
Basso ostinato op. 92 Nr. 4
Let’s now continue traveling across the world of Reger’s organ works.
In earlier News one can discover step by step the miraculous world of this incomparabel music. Now we reach the summit. I think the apotheosis.
Yes, the apotheosis:
Variationen und Fuge über ein Originalthema fis-Moll op. 73
The giant among Reger‘s organ works, dedicated to Karl Straube.
This op. 73 is the Cologne cathedral in organ music or… the Mount Everest. The gigantic size of this opus allways intimidate in front of the score. So many tones! Who should be able to play that? One of the most recognized organists all over the world said to me: “That’s too much for me!”
But the gigantism of this op. 73 only is one single aspect of this composition. Musical construction and emotionel deepness also reach the climax.
One can regret it, but it’s true: for the listener it is very hard to follow all these incredible ideas by Reger during a performance. There is no other chance than approaching step by step.
Let’s begin immediately!
Here’s the theme, certainly one of the most successful inspirations by Max Reger, the germ of op. 73.
The theme is rather large. But structure is clear and we can observe a traditionel aspect helping us to memorize the theme: it’s the famous ‘Liedform’ A B A’.
Here A:
And here B:
In B you have a short ‘Point d’orgue’, long notes in the pedal, which give a moment of ritenuto, a sort of appeasement. In this moment one can hear the repetition of a motiv, a traditionel feature too.
Hearing the whole theme you can remark in A and A’ the special melodic line, followed by a nice interjection. And Reger gives us a strong termination of his marvellous theme helping to follow the long way through the incomparable world of his op. 73.
After memorizing this unique theme the listener is well prepared to understand the variations, in spite of the intricate technics by Reger. Having a look at the variations we discover an ingenious trick by Reger : he created groupes of variations, separated by ‘invocations’ of the original theme, which gives a good orientation during a performance. These invocations of the original theme are a sort of islands in the ocean of the variations. And now you can see: the invocations – there are three – represent an own group of variations, variations amoung variations!
To demonstrate this here the original theme completly, followed directly by the first ‘island’, that means the first invocation:
And now the 2. and the 3. invocation side by side:
The theme and the invocations bring a moment of calmness, islands of security in the wild ocean of the other variations.
I hope now you are equiped for confrontation with the first variation group. No fear! It begins very familiar by a group of three variations rather simple to understand. Number one and two are so called Umspielungsvariationen (in German), that means the tones of the theme are ornamented by many short notes, but one can identify the original theme. The third variation differs, the melodic line is transformed in a unisono movement (virtuoso), tonality change to d minor. But all these variations respect clearly the A-B-A’ construction. You will see! Attention to the Point d’orgue!
Here the first 3 variations and the first invocation:
Until this moment the tonality f sharp minor is rather conserved and the next group of variations begins in the same. Both aspects: form and tonality are strongly defined by the theme and the three first variations.
In the following group, Variations 4 to 8, things change. The theme and its motivs, tonality, structure of part writing, the whole physignomy of the theme disappear, not suddenly, but more and more. Main changement concerns the pedal part. The original theme is a clear top part melody with harmonic basement, tradition of 19th century. Now it’s the pedal, which plays the theme part and manuals play harmonic role. This is a contradiction. But it happens more. The sequence of this group of five variations attack the theme in order to distroy it. The idea by Reger is the opposition between the theme (construction) and the variations (destruction). It begins moderate. In variation 4 you hear the theme in the pedal, similar a chorale prelude. The following number 5 brings a big contrast between very quiet ( p – pppp) and very excited ( f – organo pleno), provoking a sort of heavy air and menace. Then it comes to an eruption of violence. The theme is cut to pieces, the atmosphere stirs up, pieces of the theme in rags, finaly layed in ruins. A firework of virtuosity, an excess of musical expenditure is installed to initiate an incredible escalation of musical expression (vivacissimo, molto agitato, org. pl.).
Too much? Not at all!
The overdo itself is the idea by Reger!
Op. 73 is exaggeration as subject of a composition.
At the end of this catastrophical disaster (ffff in the score) three chromatic notes (diminuendo) lead to the following invocation of the theme – unblessed! (2. island). Only tonality is not yet reached. But we hear a lyric transition to peace. At the end the theme’s pure tonality f sharp, now major (!).
Variations 4 -8 and the next invocation:
The excess in composition corresponds to the excess of technical complications for the organists. To play this neads an almost superhuman effort.
Let’s come back to the more important question: the destin of the theme!
What will happen after this terrible choc? What can happen?
The first variation opening the third group among the variations present the most possible contrast in front the preceding variations. The listener enter in a total different world, a sort of supernatural unphysical atmosphere. The tonality arrives to G mayor, quietness spread, light cords, tender tone mouvement, real consolation.
But this marvellous variation is followed by a companion, the last of all variations. If the G mayor variation is Eusebius, the last is Florestan. A last firework of craftsmanship in organ composition, reaching the borderline to human capacity, reaching the last degree of exaggeration. Nevertheless musical construction here is very, very clear: you can identify the original theme without any difficulty: The A-B-A form (point d’orgue!), the motif structure, tonality F sharp minor. In summa a strong confirmation for surviving, at least for the victory by the original theme.
The third group of variations and the beginning of the last invocation:
This very extraordinary complex of the “Originalthema” with its long sequence of highest developed variations, this indeed big painting in monumental style of the late 19th century, needs a frame, worthy of the great panorama of the op. 73.
And in order to make something, which is value to frame this masterwork, Max Reger exert his whole craftsmanship and invent two additionel parts: ‘Introduction’ and fugue. The introduction is a separate mouvement of 7 minutes duration (!) and the splended brillance of the closing fugue brings an overwhelming thriumph, indeed unique in organ literature. What a moment in german organ playing!
Let’s have a look at these framing parts! We saw the contradiction moment in the variations between ‘construction’ and ‘destruction’. We find it here, too. Construction per se is the character of a fugue. Reger’s idea here is to create not only a good construction, but this fugue represent – starting with the first motif – a unique musical affirmation: security, clearness, confidence, power, future.
The theme: we hear two strong exclamations followed by a semiquaver development and a strictly and clear termination in well articulated quaver jumps. This theme, perceptible in all contrapuntal constellations, is a real leader to the victory.
Reger here follows german tradition: the fugue played by the full organ is the final point of the service.
The opening part (‘Introduction’) of op. 73 is very different. Here two characters alternate with each other: melancholic resignation and excited passion. And there is no solution, orientation is failed.
Now the beginning of the op. 73 (‘Introduction’):
And here a later section of the Introduction: the same situation, but even more grave:
And now the very contrast: the fugue, the solution, the orientation, change for the better, victory. At the beginning I compared Reger’s op. 73 with the Cologne cathedral. Here I play the fugue of op. 73 at the great organ of the Cologne cathedral: musical and architectural craftsmanship in perfect balance!
The fugue:
I very hope you like it.
Have a good time!
Andreas Arand