3 Choralfantasien

Historical context

The three chorale fantasies forming Op. 52 are to be considered entirely independent works and have become one of the most famous organ works of the time, according to the book. These great organ fantasies were written in an incredibly short time, approximately ten days, in response to a critical article that downplayed Reger’s inventiveness and fantasy. Reger reportedly threw the finished works onto the piano with the bitter words: “Therein is the Reger who has no fantasy and no invention.”

The work musically treats the chorales “Alle Menschen müssen sterben,” “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme,” and “Halleluja! Gott zu loben, bleibe meine Seelenfreud’.” Here too, as the book notes, the master follows the spiritual and poetic train of thought, frequently using ecstatic moods that often naturally create a prodigious musical ingredient. The first fantasy, dedicated to University Professor Dr. Julius Smend, lends the bitter thought of the transience of this world its most poignant form. The second, dedicated “To my friend Karl Straube in heartfelt gratitude,” is a mighty call ringing across the land, while the third, dedicated to Senior Seminar Teacher Friedrich L. Schnakenberg, is a thanksgiving not only of the individual but almost of a great multitude to the Creator. All three fantasies premiered in 1901, with Karl Straube performing the first in Wesel Cathedral, the second in Berlin’s old Hof- und Garnisonkirche, and the third in Munich’s Kaimsaal, as noted in Zeittafel, the book. The author suggests this trilogy offers the greatest reward among Reger’s works up to this opus number for professional musicians, especially organists.

Drawn from Segnitz, Eugen, 1862-1927, Max Reger : Abriss seines Lebens und Analyse seiner Werke (1922); Lindner, Adalbert; Lindner, Adalbert, b. 1860, Max Reger : ein Bild seines Jugendlebens und künstlerischen Werdens (1922) — public domain, archive.org.