Four Church songs WoO VI/20

for mixed voice unaccompanied choir

Content
Creation
Komponiert in Berg am Starnberger See, zwischen dem 14. und 18. September 1904Composed in Berg am Starnberger See, between 14 and 18 September 1904
Status
Dedication

Performance medium
Mixed choir [Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass]

Work collection
  • -
Original work
  • -
Versions
  • -

1.

Reger-Werkausgabe Bd. II/9: Werke für gemischten Chor a cappella II, S. 2–5.
Herausgeber Christopher Grafschmidt.
Unter Mitarbeit von Nikolaos Beer, Stefan König und Dennis Ried.
Verlag Carus-Verlag, Stuttgart; Verlagsnummer: CV 52.816.
Erscheinungsdatum Oktober 2021.
Notensatz Carus-Verlag, Stuttgart.
Copyright 2021 by Carus-Verlag, Stuttgart and Max-Reger-Institut, Karlsruhe – CV 52.816.
Vervielfältigungen jeglicher Art sind gesetzlich verboten. / Any unauthorized reproduction is prohibited by law.
Alle Rechte vorbehalten. / All rights reserved.
ISMN M-007-26186-3.
ISBN 978-3-89948-418-2.

No. 1 Treuer Heiland, habe Dank


Category
Text template
First edition
unknown

Template edition

Copy shown in RWA: unknown


Annotations

No. 2 Gehe hin in deine Kammer


Category
Text template
First edition
unknown

Template edition

Copy shown in RWA: unknown


Annotations

Note: Woher die abschließende Variante “bis zum frühen Auferstehn” statt “bis zum frohen Auferstehn” stammt, ist unbekannt; möglicherweise beruht sie auf einer spontanen Eingebung Regers, die beim Herausgeber jedoch nicht auf Widerspruch stieß.


No. 3 Laß mich dein sein und bleiben


Category
Text template
First edition
unknown

Template edition

Copy shown in RWA: unknown


Annotations

Note: Auch wenn die Vorlage eigentlich unzweifelhaft ist, so weicht Reger doch an einer zentralen Stelle davon ab und verwendet in T. 7–9 statt “halt mich bei deiner Lehr” die Formulierung “halt mich bei reiner Lehr”, wie sie etwa im Gesangbuch für die evangel.-lutherische Kirche in Bayern (Nürnberg 1897, Nr. 19) dokumentiert ist.


No. 4 Tretet her zum Tisch des Herrn!


Category
Text template
First edition
unknown

Template edition

Copy shown in RWA: unknown


Annotations

1. Composition
Publication

Musica sacra, an “Anthology of Protestant Church Hymns from the Reformation to the Present in the order of the Church Calendar” edited by Hans Michael Schletterer, was published just 20 years after its first edition of 1887 in a new edition overseen by the organist and composer Friedrich Wilhelm Trautner. For this, the collection was “expanded with 20 further choruses by recently-deceased or living composers, such as Fr. Mergner, L. Meinardus, H. von Herzogenberg, G. Schreck, E. Oechsler, Ph. Wolfrum, E. Hohmann, M. Reger, and the undersigned”.1 An invitation to Reger to contribute from the C.H. Beck’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung in Munich may have reached the composer before his summer holidays in 1904, which he spent from 6 August in Berg on Starnberger See. Three contributions were agreed. On 9 September Reger asked his publisher Lauterbach & Kuhn to send him a copy of the Gesangbuch für die evangelisch-lutherische Landeskirche Sachsens“I need this as soon as possible! (To borrow!)” –, and wrote to express his thanks for the receipt of this on 14 September.2

On 18 September Reger sent four choral movements to C.H. Beck going beyond what his contract required, “to make you aware of my interest in your venture in the clearest way possible. At the end of every chorus is indicated which season of the church year it is intended for, so that Herr Trautner has as little work as possible! […] All these 4 choruses are so easily performable, that they can therefore only promote the practical usability of your venture.” Reger expressed his satisfaction with the royalty originally agreed. (Letter)

It is not known when exactly the collection was published.3 Trautner’s preface is dated 15 July 1905, the title page also gives 1905, and the first known review appeared in February 1906 in the Monatschrift für Gottesdienst und kirchliche Kunst.

2.

Translation by Elizabeth Robinson.


1
Foreword by F.W. Trautner, p. VI.
2
Postcards, in Lauterbach & Kuhn-Briefe 1, p. 361.
3
It is not listed in Hofmeister’s Musikalisch-literarischer Monatsbericht über neue Musikalien, musikalische Schriften und Abbildungen.

1. Early reception

All in all, the expanded edition of the “Anthology of Protestant Church Hymns” received little attention in the press. In both the Monatschrift für Gottesdienst und kirchliche Kunst and the Theologisches Literaturblatt 1 the endeavor was welcomed, although Friedrich Spitta in the Monatschrift criticized, amongst other things: “Of the choruses in the 1st edition a good number could have been omitted. Then there would have been space for more important works.” 2 Reger merely received a mention in each case.

2.

Translation by Elizabeth Robinson.


1
27 Jg. (1906), No. 19 (11 May), p. 226.
2
11 Jg. (1906), No. 2 (February issue), p. 81.

1. Quellenbewertung

Der Edition liegt als Leitquelle der Erstdruck zugrunde.

2. Sources

  • Erstdruck
Object reference

Max Reger: Four Church songs WoO VI/20, in: Reger-Werkausgabe, www.reger-werkausgabe.de/mri_work_00230.html, version 3.1.4, 2nd May 2025.

Information

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