4th November 2022, Newly published

Works for choir with piano accompaniment

Volume II/11, published by Carus-Verlag, is now available.

There are very few compositions for a mixed vocal scoring and piano by Reger, strictly speaking only one: the Three Choruses op. 6, written in the summer of 1892 during his studies with Hugo Riemann. Despite the title, they are probably intended for solo voices. These pieces also have a certain significance in that Reger practised here for the first time the use of red ink for the performance instructions, which was characteristic of him in the following.

The other pieces published in Volume II/11 are piano reductions of Reger’s own choral symphonic works: Gesang der Verklärten op. 71, Psalm 100 op. 106, Die Nonnen op. 112, Der Einsiedler op. 144a and Requiem op. 144b. Most likely, these excerpts are intended only for rehearsal of the works and not as orchestral substitutes in a performance.

A piano reduction of the Weihegesang WoO V/6 appears as the first edition. Reger himself prepared one reduction each for the solo alto and for the choir, both of which, however, essentially only take into account their respective sections, i.e. are incomplete. Therefore, no authentic piano score exists for the Weihegesang. The reduction made available in the RWA unites both of Reger’s manuscripts, which were never intended for publication.

Reger-Werkausgabe, vol. II/11: Works for choir with piano accompaniment, Carus-Verlag, Stuttgart 2022, CV 52.818