Tradition and modernity – composing for the organ
Alexander Becker, Stefan König, Christopher Grafschmidt, Stefanie Steiner-Grage
1.
Reger described his intentions and high ambitions in relation to composing for the organ in February 1900 to the reviewer Georg Göhler: “We must […] exploit the achievements of modern organ building – and then employ Bach’s style of composition for the organ! This is what I’m thinking about our German organ style (perhaps of the ‘future’)”.” (Letter dated 10 February 1900 to Georg Göhler)1 This highlights two issues which were to remain relevant throughout Reger’s organ output: a multi-layered orientation towards the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, together with a focus on the innovative possibilities of the modern concert organ. These issues were fully exhausted and expanded through Reger’s works.
Reger’s recourse to Johann Sebastian Bach was both typical of the time and programmatic for his output. For the historicist tendencies at the turn of the century, Bach was both an emblem and a point of reference; in the creative debate about his works this was meant to heal German musical life, perceived as decadent2 – a thought which was expressed especially emphatically by the musicologist and organist Heinrich Reimann: ““Outside this style there is no salvation!” (Orgel-Sonaten, p. 559) Also in Reger’s view of Bach, the pathos of acquisition and the pathos of renewal belonged inseparably together. To his earlier teacher Hugo Riemann, he expressed the hope of being able to achieve a “purposeful, true composing for organ” through progress “based on the Bachian tradition” (letter dated 18 March 1899).
About this Blogpost
Authors:
Alexander Becker, Stefan König, Christopher Grafschmidt, Stefanie Steiner-Grage
Translations:
Elizabeth Robinson (en)
Date:
15th December 2011
Tags:
Module IVol. I/2
Read more in RWA Online…
- –
Citation
Alexander Becker, Stefan König, Christopher Grafschmidt, Stefanie Steiner-Grage: Tradition and modernity – composing for the organ, in: Reger-Werkausgabe, www.reger-werkausgabe.de/rwa_post_00064, version 4.0, 18th December 2025.
Information
Links and references to texts and object entries of the RWA encyclopaedia are currently not all active. These will be successively activated.