Reubke: Complete Works for Piano & Organ

Featuring

Michael Schöch
Julius Reubke

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Notable Performances

Julius Reubke himself performed the world premiere of his Organ Sonata, 'The 94th Psalm', on June 17, 1857, at Merseburg Cathedral.

Composer Biography

Julius Reubke, a close friend of composer Peter Cornelius and a member of the Liszt circle in Weimar, died at the young age of 24 from a pulmonary disease.

Composition History

Reubke's Organ Sonata, 'The 94th Psalm', was composed for the Friedrich Ladegast Organ in Merseburg Cathedral, an instrument that also inspired Franz Liszt's great organ works.

Compositional Technique

Reubke's piano works showcase his virtuosity with techniques like rapid double octaves, 'thumb melodies' (where the theme is played alternately by both thumbs), and full chordal passages.

Compositional Technique

Both of Reubke's sonatas, like Franz Liszt's B-minor Sonata, are composed in movements that flow into each other without pause, allowing for an interpretation of 'multiple movements within a single movement'.

Performer Biography

Michael Schöch, the performer on this album, is one of the few musicians equally proficient in both piano and organ repertoire at the highest level.

Critical Reception

Reubke's Organ Sonata, 'The 94th Psalm', is considered a standard repertoire piece and one of the most ingenious works in organ literature, while his Piano Sonata in B-flat minor remains a rarely performed 'insider's tip'.