Maria, Himmelsfreud WoO VI/12
for mixed voice unaccompanied choir
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Text: Heinrich Bone
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Heinrich Bone: Maria, Himmelsfreud’, Nr. 99, in:
Sammlung von Kirchengesängen für katholische Gymnasien, ed. by J. B. C. Schmidts, Schreiner, Düsseldorf
[Probably] Heinrich Bone: Maria, Himmelsfreud’, Nr. 400, in:
Cäcilia. Katholisches Gesang- und Gebetbuch, siebzehnte unveränderte Auflage, ed. by Joseph Moor, Verlag von Friedrich Pustet, Regensburg, New York and Cincinnati
Copy shown in RWA: DE, Weiden, Stadtmuseum/Max-Reger-Sammlung.
Note: Ein Exemplar befand sich in Regers Besitz. Das Gesangbuch war wohl ein Geschenk zur Firmung im Jahr 1884. Das Exemplar gelangte aus Weidener Privatbesitz in die dortige Augustinerkirche und nach deren Profanierung in das Stadtmuseum Weiden (vgl. “Auf den Spuren von Max Reger – Augustiner-Geschenke führen zu spannender Recherche”, in Der neue Tag, Weiden, 11. August 2010; Artikel gezeichnet mit “ps”).
Note: Zur Erstausgabe vgl. Das katholische deutsche Kirchenlied in seinen Singweisen, Vierter und letzter Band (mit Nachträgen zu den ersten drei Bänden), auf Grund handschriftlicher und gedruckter Quellen bearbeitet von Wilhelm Bäumker, nach dem Tode des Verfassers hrsg. von Joseph Gotzen, Freiburg 1911, S. 603 (Nr. 229).
Note: Später u. a. überliefert in der von Bone herausgegebenen Sammlung Cantate! Katholisches Gesangbuch, 1. Aufl. Mainz 1847 (71879).
1. Composition and Publication
Maria, Himmelsfreud was commissioned by the Regensburg Cathedral music director Franz Xaver Engelhart for a collection he edited, Marienlob. Fourteen composers, including Josef Rheinberger and the Regensburg Cathedral organist Joseph Renner jun., each contributed an unaccompanied choral setting.1 Reger probably worked on his contribution at the end of 1899; the date given in the new edition of the chorus published in 19542, of “13. XII. 1899” presumably repeats the date of completion from the autograph engraver’s copy, which probably remained with the publisher and now appears to be lost.
The suggestion to set a text by Heinrich Bone may possibly have come from Engelhart. Reger could have taken it from the widely available Regensburg Catholic hymn books Benedicite and Cäcilia 3; he owned a copy of at least the latter – probably a present on his confirmation in 1884.4 Maria, Himmelsfreud is the only double setting within the Marienlob. The other setting, also for four parts, but compositionally considerably easier and a less chromatic version of this text, which opens the collection, is by Engelhart himself.
The correction stages are not documented in Reger’s correspondence. The collection Marienlob was published in 1900 by the publisher Martin Cohen in Regensburg, possibly in the second half of the year.5 It was published with the marking “Heft I”, but the collection was not continued.6
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Translation by Elizabeth Robinson.
1. Reception
At present, there are no records of performances in Reger's time.
1. Sources
Object reference
Max Reger: Maria, Himmelsfreud WoO VI/12, in: Reger-Werkausgabe, www.reger-werkausgabe.de/mri_work_00219.html, version 3.1.2, 14th March 2025.
Information
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