J. S. Bach
(1685-1750)
arr. Max Reger
(1873–1916)
Brandenburg concertos
Orchestral suites
Organ works
Evelinde Trenkner
& Sontraud Speidel
MDG 102 2294-2
(4 CD box set)
Price: 37,99 €
celebrated
Max Reger's piano four hands arrangements of Bach's orchestral and organ works by the legendary piano duo Evelinde Trenkner & Sontraud Speidel with the warm, romantic timbre of the magnificent concert grand "Manfred Bürki" Steinway D from 1901 are a much sought-after collectors' item.
inspired
Reger's doctor had prescribed a total ban on composition: "Well, then I'll just arrange..." thought Reger and the "Brandenburg Concertos" was his remedy. Bach was his "musical godfather" and benchmark as a composer throughout his life. While Reger himself was considered a revolutionary and avant-gardist by his contemporaries, he drew inspiration and strength from studying the compositions of the great Thomaskantor. More than 160 Bach arrangements are the result.
timeless
A didactic interest may also have played a role, since Reger condemned superficial virtuosity or sultry harmonies in favour of a clear structure, which becomes even more obvious in his arrangements of the concertos as well as the four orchestral suites. Three of the most popular organ works of all time, the C minor Passacaglia, the Toccata and Fugue in D minor and the E-flat major Prelude and Fugue, form an attractive addition to the programme, which is as entertaining as it is enlightening.
commemorative
The "Preziosa" series is a treasure trove of specially selected masterpieces from the extensive MDG catalogue and include fascinating anecdotes about the recording project by Werner Dabringhaus. This album not only captures Baroque compositions through a Romantic lens that Reger himself might have envisaged, it is moreover a worthy tribute to the incredibly talented Evelinde Trenkner, who recently passed away.
"Kontrastreiche Wiedergabe. Anspruchsvolle Bearbeitungen." - Klassik Heute
"Das bestens abgestimmte Duo spielt rhythmisch lebendig, auch zupackend, ohne die Detailfülle der Kompositionen zu vernachlässigen." - Badische Neueste Nachrichten
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