Friday, 23 May 2025

Reger Variations on a theme by Bach

 Day 143

Reger Variations on a theme by Bach

Mark-André Hamelin

I don’t think that I have ever consciously listened to any Reger though I am sure that I must have heard some of his music at some time. Reger’s music has the reputation of being rather glutinous with counterpoint which, like his name, sounds the same backward as it does forwards!  

There’s certainly an element of that in the fugue with which this set of variations concludes but it is not all like that. What surprised me most was the sheer noise of some of the louder variations  - the keyboard took a real hammering at time and it must be quite uncomfortable to be right near the piano when these are being played. The contrast with the softer, more contemplative passages was very marked.


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