Reger's Trauerode op. 145.1 (Ode to Grief) is dedicated to the memory of those who fell in the war of 1914/1915.
Compositional Technique
Reger's compositions, like Bach's, feature highly complicated structures, but Reger pushes this further with chromatic density and harmonic changes in limited spaces, creating a labyrinthine texture.
Instruments
The Sauer-Organ at St. Thomas Leipzig, expanded in 1908 to 88 registers, is considered perfectly suited to Max Reger's music.
Performer Biography
Ullrich Böhme initiated the restoration of the great Sauer organ at St. Thomas and designed Gerald Woehl's new Bach organ, which is unique and garnered significant attention in the organ world.
Performer Biography
Ullrich Böhme, the organist on this recording, was chosen as the organist at St. Thomas in Leipzig in 1985, the tercentenary year of Bach's birth.
Notable Performances
Karl Straube, organist of St. Thomas and a close friend of Reger, premiered many of Reger's organ works, including the Phantasie und Fuge über B-A-C-H op. 46 and Phantasie über "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott" op. 27.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Max Reger, the composer, stated, "I owe everything, everything, to Johann Sebastian Bach," highlighting Bach's profound influence on his work.
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