Max Reger- Variations and Fugue in A Major on a theme by Mozart Op. 132

 

Max Reger

  (19 March 1873 – 11 May 1916) 

 German composer, conductor, pianist, organist, and academic teacher

 

 

Variations and Fugue in A Major on a theme by Mozart Op. 132

 

I. Theme Andante Grazioso. 0:00
II. L'istesso tempo (Variation I) 3:00
III. Poco agitato (Variation II) 5:39
IV. Con moto (Variation III) 7:40
V. Vivace (Variation IV) 9:02
VI. Quasi presto (Variation V) 9:47
VII. Sostenuto (quasi adagietto) (Variation VI) 11:30
VIII. Andante grazioso (Variation VII) 14:11
IX. Molto sostenuto (Variation VIII) 17:09
X. Fugue: Allegretto grazioso 24:12

Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Karl Böhm. Conductor

 

Reger was a german composer, organist, pianist and music teacher. He was an important figure of German Romanticism and considered the heir of Brahms because he based all his music in elements of baroque of Bach and classicism of Haydn and Mozart. However, Reger also reverenced Beethoven, Schumann and even Liszt, but the greatest inspiration was Brahms in order to create beautiful pages, symbol of the Late Romanticism.

 

Variations and Fugue on a theme by Mozart Op. 132 is a demonstration of the art of Reger as organist

and orchestrator. The theme is the piano sonata in A Major K. 331 of Mozart and throughout of the piece, the music suffers interesting variations in fugue mode, sometimes lyric and other times dramatic and jumping. The work can be compared with Variations on a theme by Haydn of Brahms because of the structure and the ending of the work and it's also compared with symphonic works of Liszt (Faust symphony) by extended harmonies and musical effects.

 

Transylvania State Philharmonic in Cluj, Romania.
Conductor - Mihail Agafita.

            

 

Jimin Oh-Havenith & Raymund Havenith, piano

Live recording
Köln, Germany, 26.10.1990

       

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[2019. 5. 7. 1차]