RWA Online Encyclopedia II – Songs and Choral Works WoO V/4 No. 4

Fünf Choralkantaten WoO V/4

Chorale Cantata “Meinem Jesum lass ich nicht” WoO V/4 No. 4

for soprano, mixed voice choir, violin, viola and organ

1.

Reger-Werkausgabe Bd. II/7: Vokalwerke mit Orgelbegleitung und weiteren Instrumenten, S. 184–196.
Herausgeber Alexander Becker, Christopher Grafschmidt, Stefan König.
Unter Mitarbeit von Dennis Ried und Stefanie Steiner-Grage.
Verlag Carus-Verlag, Stuttgart; Verlagsnummer: CV 52.814.
Erscheinungsdatum Juni 2019.
Notensatz Carus-Verlag, Stuttgart.
Copyright 2019 by Carus-Verlag, Stuttgart and Max-Reger-Institut, Karlsruhe – CV 52.814.
Vervielfältigungen jeglicher Art sind gesetzlich verboten. / Any unauthorized reproduction is prohibited by law.
Alle Rechte vorbehalten. / All rights reserved.
ISMN M-007-18850-4.
ISBN 978-3-89948-318-5.

Chorale Cantata “Meinem Jesum lass ich nicht”

Work
Category
Text template
First edition

Christian Keimann: [Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht…], in: Andreas Hammerschmidts Dritter Theil. Fest- Buß- und Dancklieder mit 5. und 10. Stimen, Dresden 1659 (andere Stimmbücher: 1658), p. [n. o. s.].

Template edition

Christian Keimann: [Meinen Jesum laß ich nicht…], Nr. 326, in: Gesangbuch für die evangelisch-lutherische Landeskirche des Königreichs Sachsen. Textbuch, ed. by Evangelisch-lutherisches Landeskonsistorium, B. G. Teubner, Leipzig 1883, p. 212.

Copy shown in RWA: DE, Karlsruhe, Max-Reger-Institut/Elsa-Reger-Stiftung.

Annotations

Note: Bereits 1658 als Einzeldruck erschienen. Text inhaltlich u. a. aufbauend auf Psalm 73, 23–28.

Note: Den Cantus firmus verwendete Reger auch in den gleichnamigen Choralvorspielen Opus 67 Nr. 26 und Opus 135a Nr. 17.

1. Composition

1.1.

The commission to write a cantata on the chorale “Meinen Jesum lass ich nicht” for the newly-founded University Church Choir 1 in Leipzig reached the composer during his summer holidays presumably at the beginning of August 1906 via his publisher. He had possibly not yet abandoned the plan of a cantata cycle at this point in time, but he was thwarted de facto by the inquiry from the Leipzig Kantor Hans Hofmann. Perhaps because of this Reger initially reacted cautiously on 8 August: “As regards the cantata, I must think about this first of all!” (Postcard to Lauterbach & Kuhn)

But Reger only spent a short time thinking about it, for by the 17th of the month he informed the publisher that, as well as the final fugue of the Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue for two pianos op. 96, he was also working on the “new chorale cantata” (Postcard). Just four days later he reported the completion of op. 96 as well as the “new, highly simple chorale cantata” and promised to deliver both works after a final checking through “by 15 Sept. at the very latest” to the publisher (Postcard dated 21 August). When Lauterbach’s partner Max Kuhn paid a surprise visit to the Regers two days later at Prien am Chiemsee, he was nevertheless able to take receipt of the engraver’s copy of the cantata.2

2. Publication

2.1.

Reger immediately insisted that a set of proofs was produced (Brief vor dem 1. September), which he in fact received on 4 September1906 (vgl. Postkarte). When returning these two days later he instructed his publisher: “[…] new proofs to me not necessary! But for the engraving & final printed edition of the cantata (score, & all the parts) my manuscript is no longer valid, but only the proofs corrected by me; please have the complete parts produced from these proofs! It is not necessary for me to be sent the parts for proof-reading” (Postcard dated 6 September 1906). It is not known when the first printed editions were published; at any rate on 10 September Reger expressed his thanks for the receipt of his royalty. (Letter).

3.

Translation by Elizabeth Robinson.

1
Together with the University chaplains Georg Rietschel und Ludwig Ihmels, Hans Hofmann pushed for the institutionalisation of the church choir to become the “Universitäts-Kirchenchor zu St. Pauli auf akademischer Grundlage” (Hans Hofmann, “Gottesdienst und Kirchenmusik in der Universitätskirche zu St. Pauli-Leipzig seit der Reformation (1543–1918)”, in Beiträge zur sächsischen Kirchengeschichte, Vol. 32 [1919], p. 149; in Martin Petzoldt, “Musik im Universitätsgottesdienst zu Leipzig”, in 600 Jahre Musik an der Universität Leipzig. Studien anlässlich des Jubiläums, ed. Eszter Fontana, Leipzig 2010, p. 185), something which finally happened on 10 November (see Leipziger Neueste Nachrichten, c. 26 November 1906; cited in press reviews [see note 161].
2
Reger informed Carl Lauterbach as early as 22 August: “Next Monday you will receive the new chorale cantata in manuscript!” (Postcard).

1. Reception

The contact with the Leipzig University Church Choir which came about through the cantata soon proved to be beneficial for Reger’s own career plans, which became firmer towards the end of 1906. On 30 November the fifth Reger Evening was hosted in the Centraltheater, an event which should be regarded “as a strategic preparation for a career change” 1, for soon afterwards negotiations led to Reger’s appointment in March 1907 as University Music Director in Leipzig and composition teacher at the Conservatoire there.2

Just five days before the Reger Evening, the first performance of the new cantata took place as part of the Leipzig University church service on Totensonntag, at which the new University Church Choir also made its debut. Reger must have known about the planned performance of the work within the liturgy, for he took the opportunity to add a commemorative dedication to the text (intended for use in funeral sermons) by Christian Keimann3 used in the commissioned cantata. This was to Captain Hans von Bagenski, a brother of his wife Elsa, who had died in April 1904 in German South-West Africa (Namibia) in the war against the Herero uprising.

On 26 February 1907 it was repeated in the first church concert hosted by the choir, an event marking the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Protestant hymn-writers Keimann, Paul Gerhardt and Johann Rist, at which Reger’s first chorale cantata “Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her” WoO V/4 no. 1 was included in the program.4 The great public interest in this concert was focussed not least on Reger, about whose appointment as University music director and composition teacher at the Conservatoire early rumors were already circulating in Leipzig newspapers.5

The reviewers showered Reger’s work with unanimous praise. Arthur Schlegel (Musikalisches Wochenblatt) heard “a great intensification from the beginning to the end, which in the 6th verse, where the congregation takes over the melody and the choir confronts this independently, reaches the simply overwhelming high point; here again the tremendous harmonic richness which Reger has at his disposal is to be admired, almost more than the lightness in the contrapuntal treatment which has become second nature to him.” (Review) Although Felix Wilfferodt from the Leipziger Tageblatt had some slight criticisms of the choir, he nevertheless gave a thoroughly positive report of Reger’s cantatas: “Both works exploit the power of the Protestant chorale artistically and nobly, use the harmony impressively, yet are readily comprehensible to the ear, and are tuned to the joy of belief, and nowhere to pondering.” (Review)

2.

Translation by Elizabeth Robinson.

1
Werk statt Leben, p. 259.
2
On 22 February 1907 Reger was appointed University Music Director by the Academic Senate, and six days later the Senate’s decision was confirmed by the Ministerium des Kultus und öffentlichen Unterrichts in Dresden. On 16 March he signed his contract with the Leipzig Conservatoire (see Werk statt Leben, pp. 263–266).
3
For information on the liturgical context, see Thust, Vol. 2, p. 279. – Reger had already used the cantus firmus for the organ chorale prelude op. 67 no. 26 of the same name.
4
The concert offered, in its settings of texts by the three hymn writers “an immediate genial consideration of the past, the present, and the future” (Arthur Smolian in the Leipziger Zeitung [ review]).
5
Whereas Arthur Smolian was only able to report in vague terms that Reger “was to join the alma mater here in an official capacity” (review), Curt Hermann, who took part in the performance as a viola player and probably had relevant information, introduced Reger as the “newly appointed University music director of a few days ago” (review).

1. Stemma

Die in Klammern gesetzte Quelle ist verschollen.
Die in Klammern gesetzte Quelle ist verschollen.

2. Quellenbewertung

Der Edition liegt als Leitquelle der Erstdruck der Partitur zugrunde. Regers Handexemplar war insbesondere an einer Stelle (T. 45) aufschlussreich. Als zusätzliche Quelle wurde die Stichvorlage herangezogen. Die Erstdruck-Stimmen wurden vermutlich verlagsintern angelegt und spielten, da nicht direkt auf Reger zurückgehend, für die Edition kaum eine Rolle.

3. Sources

    Object reference

    Max Reger: Chorale Cantata “Meinem Jesum lass ich nicht” WoO V/4 No. 4, in: Reger-Werkausgabe, www.reger-werkausgabe.de/mri_work_00213.html, version 3.1.5, 30th September 2025.

    Information

    This is an object entry from the RWA encyclopaedia. Links and references to other objects within the encyclopaedia are currently not all active. These will be successively activated.