Max Reger, a German composer, pianist, organist, conductor, and teacher, dedicated over 50 of his works to Johann Sebastian Bach.
Instruments
Luca Sanzò plays an Igino Sderci viola from 1956 and a Pietro Gaggini viola from 1977 that previously belonged to Luciano Vicari.
Composition History
Max Reger's Three Suites for Viola Solo Op.131d, completed in 1915, are part of a larger collection (Op.131) that includes works for solo violin, two violins, and cello, all in an ancient, Bach-like style.
Compositional Technique
Max Reger's Three Suites for Viola Solo emphasize the polyphonic nature of the viola, an instrument often considered monodic, with Bach's influence evident in their contrapuntal voices and chordal writing.
Performer Biography
Luca Sanzò, the violist on this recording, is a long-standing member of the PMCE (Parco Della Musica Contemporanea Ensemble), which specializes in 19th- and 20th-century music and is resident at the Rome Auditorium.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Max Reger, described by musicologist Massimo Mila as an 'outstanding crafter of chamber music,' aimed to restore ancient contrapuntal forms like fugues, passacaglias, chaconnes, and suites.
Historical Context
Max Reger, like many of his contemporaries, experienced the human tension of late Romanticism and the internal conflict that led to the First World War, which is reflected in the melancholic sound of the viola in his suites.
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