RWA Volume I/1 – The conception of the chorale fantasias
Alexander Becker, Stefan König, Christopher Grafschmidt, Stefanie Steiner-Grage
1.
Reger very probably took the chorales and chorale texts for the first six fantasias from the Gesangbuch für die evangelisch-lutherische Kirche in Bayern (Nuremberg 1897); with regard to the rhythmic shape of the cantus firmi, in opp. 27, 30, 40 No. 1 and 52 No. 2, he followed Hugo Riemann’s version in his Katechismus des Generalbaß-Spiels (Max Hesses Verlag, Leipzig 1889). The chorale “Halleluja! Gott zu loben, bleibe meine Seelenfreud’!” (op. 52 No. 3) is only found in three hymn books of the time (see op. 52 no. 3, Text); it may have been suggested by the Essen organist Gustav Beckmann, whom Reger thanked for sending a chorale and told about the composition of a fantasia on 16 May 1900. (Letter)
All seven of Reger’s chorale fantasias adopt the strophically modeled form with several internal sections introduced by Heinrich Reimann in his Fantasia on the Chorale “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern” op. 25, but exceed his conception in their structural and technical complexity. The chorale verses are followed by interludes; all the chorale fantasias from op. 30 have introductions. Since motivic material from these free parts extends to the chorale-related parts of the composition, they have an important structural function. The diatonic structure of the chorale melodies and Reger’s strongly-chromatic harmony are frequently brought into a “polar relation” 1, whose sharpening or balancing out decisively influences each work.
Reger’s chorale fantasias follow the principle of “per aspera ad astra” and culminate in great final intensifications, achieved in opp. 40 No. 1, 52 No. 2 and No. 3 through formal and thematically contrasting fugues.12 The choice of chorales and the verses set in each case are also suited to this exalted style; in opp. 30, 40 No. 1 and 52 No. 1 for example, Reger omits verses in favor of a continuously increasing structured dramaturgy of the text.13 Likewise, the joining together of the beginning of the fourth and the end of the fifth verse in the reworking of op. 40 No. 1 (see Composition and printing) has a purpose in that the text now leads into the final verse, and before the fugue, a musically and textually structured climax occurs (see Textvergleiche).
To his former teacher Hugo Riemann Reger described “Wie schön leucht’t uns der Morgenstern” op. 40 No. 1 as a “program music work” (Letter to Hugo Riemann); to Emil Krause, Reger went on to admit that in his op. 40 Nos. 1 and 2 he had “expanded the form of the chorale fantasia to a ‘symphonic poem’ for organ” (letter). In fact, the unsung text, which is announced in the music in Heinrich Reimann’s Fantasia, assumes great significance in the content, as the example of op. 52 No. 3 also shows (see op. 52 no. 3, Text).
About this Blogpost
Authors:
Alexander Becker, Stefan König, Christopher Grafschmidt, Stefanie Steiner-Grage
Translations:
Elisabeth Robinson (en)
Date:
22nd February 2010
Tags:
Module IVol. I/1
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Citation
Alexander Becker, Stefan König, Christopher Grafschmidt, Stefanie Steiner-Grage: RWA Volume I/1 – The conception of the chorale fantasias, in: Reger-Werkausgabe, www.reger-werkausgabe.de/rwa_post_00041, last check: 2nd May 2024.
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