Royal Festival Hall, London, 11 April 2016
This recital was billed as ‘A celebration of the Music of Max Reger’. Through a selection of Reger’s own compositions, the appreciative audience of around 400 were entertained and entranced by this young North American organist.
The first half of the evening was partly given over to Reger’s arrangements of Bach’s Chromatic Fantasia & Fugue in D minor, BWV 903, followed by his arrangements of four of Bach’s Two-part Inventions. These arrangements gave an interesting insight into Reger’s compositional world, particularly his desire to draw out individual lines and colours. I have to confess that I prefer my Bach to be ‘unspoiled’ and so although impressed by the scale and variety of the opening piece I was more drawn to the smaller scale, delicately registered first three Inventions. The fourth was rendered in bombastic style!
There followed two of Reger’s own large scale compositions, Chorale fantasia: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme and the Introduction, passacaglia and fugue in E minor. Both of these works draw on the original thematic material to create immense structures with extremes of dynamic and colourful contrasting registrations. The sound world is neo-romantic with complex and often chromatic harmonies and shifting rhythms.
Although I can’t say this is my favourite music I was entranced by Isabelle Demers’ authoritative performances, her dexterous handling of this instrument and the fact that she seemed so at one with music and instrument. I was especially impressed to see this whole programme performed without a score in sight.
The RFH is very well suited to this music and there were moments when the exposed layout of the pipework produced some lovely more-than-stereo effects. As before it was a pleasure to see such a range of people in the audience – proof that quality organ performances can be popular.
Another very successful and enjoyable entry in this series. The final concert of the season in on 6th June. The 2016-17 series has just been announced.
Stephen Page