The Max Reger Institute aims to make the life and work of the composer known to a wider public. It is open to experts and interested laymen alike: The extensive collection and the library make the institute a treasure trove for all interested parties. You can find initial information on the homepage and the Max Reger Portal, also on Reger's 150th birthday in 2023.
Together with the Karlsruhe University of Music, we will host the conference "Bearbeitung als Original. Funktionen und Ästhetik der Transkription um 1900" from October 18-20, 2024. For Max Reger, adaptations played a significant role, among other things, to "modernize" old music. His contemporary and occasional pen pal Ferruccio Busoni, whose 100th death anniversary is being commemorated this year, shared this passion.
The programe of the conference includes two concerts: on October 18 with the conductor and pianist living in Brazil Ira Levin, whom some may remember as a guest conductor of the Badisches Staatstheater and who will also report as an active adapter (including orchestrations of Busoni's Fantasia contrappuntistica and Reger's Bach Variations); and on October 19 with Prof. Sontraud Speidel and Florian Kleinertz from the Karlsruhe University of Music as well as the piano duo Prof. Rinko Hama and Prof. Ruben Meliksetian, both former graduates of the Karlsruhe University of Music.
In a conversation with Moritz Chelius, Freiburg clarinetist Kilian Herold talks about his passion for Max Reger's Clarinet Quintet. He reveals the difficulties of the piece and the parts he particularly enjoys. He recorded the quintet in 2023 with the Armida Quartet on CD, along with the Clarinet Quintet by Reger's student Johanna Senfter.
On Thursday, July 25 at 7:30 PM, Jaleh Perego and Duru Seong will present works for solo string instruments and for violin duo by Johann Sebastian Bach, Max Reger, and Niccolò Paganini. And on Thursday, September 12 at 7:00 PM, we look forward to a reunion with the Mikado wind ensemble under the direction of Petar Hristov, who will present music by Adolf Busch and by Reger.
Max Reger is impressive. His mind is never at rest, he composes music day and night. He rushes from concert to concert and writes letters incessantly. This is only possible with vast quantities of sausages, beer and cigars. He cracks jokes of all kinds, but the thought of death haunts him. His exuberant music is dazzling, but when the tall, portly man sits down at the piano, everyone is enchanted by his delicate playing.
The Max Reger Institute is working on a graphic novel about Max Reger. Almut Ochsmann is writing the text and scenario, while Eva Gau is responsible for the visual design.
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On Sunday, 28 April 2024 at 6:30 pm, we welcome violinist Viviane Hagner and pianist Rudolf Meister to the Festsaal of Durlach's Karlsburg. The programme includes Reger's infamous »S-c-h-a-f-e«-»A-f-f-e« Sonata op. 72 as well as Béla Bartók's First Rhapsody and Maurice Ravel's second Violin Sonata. Followed by a reception with wine and Regerkugeln. Admission free, donation requested.
With its major Spring Update 2024, Reger-Werkausgabe (RWA) completes the range of contents available in RWA Online and integrates the digital components of the edition volumes published until 2019, which were previously only available on DVD. This includes both the first published volumes of the second project module “Songs and Choirs”–II/1 “Songs I” (2017), II/8 “Works for mixed voice unaccompanied choir I” (2018) and II/7 “Vocal works with organ accompaniment and further instruments” (2019)–as well as all edition volumes of the first project module “Organ Works” (RWA volumes I/1-7, published between 2010 and 2015), see also Publications. The new RWA Blog also provides a new space for presenting and contextualising project content.
