Max Reger Reger-Werkausgabe, Vol. II/5: Songs V (1906–1916)

The fifth volume of the “Songs and choral Works” module of the Reger-Werkausgabe (RWA) comprises the songs composed between June 1906 and May 1915 as well as the vocal scores of the orchestral songs An die Hoffnung (To hope) op. 124, and Hymnus der Liebe (Hymn of love) op. 136. Alongside additional songs from Schlichte Weisen (Simple ways) op. 76 (Volumes III-VI), this new volume features occasional and commissioned works. Reger wrote the song collections opus 98 and 104 for the publishers N. Simrock and Otto Forberg; other individual pieces were specially written for magazines and music albums (WoO VII 38-41) or were personal gifts (WoO VII 42-44).

The Three Duets op. 111a, for soprano and alto, were composed for a concert. Some of the works have a biographical background: The two final volumes of Schlichte Weisen (Simple ways) are settings of children’s poems for Reger’s two adopted daughters, Christa and Lotti, while he wrote the Fünf neue Kinderlieder (Five new children's songs) op. 142, for his godchildren.

In January 2008 the Max-Reger-Institut (MRI) in Karlsruhe began publishing a scholarly-critical edition of the works of Reger (RWA), supported by the Mainz Academy of Sciences and Literature. As a Hybrid Edition, it is exploring new approaches in editorial techniques.

The digital offer belonging to the volume is published in an online portal.

Content

Songs WoO VII/38 und VII/39
Four Songs op. 97
Five Songs op. 98
Abendfrieden WoO VII/40
Schlichte Weisen op. 76 vol. III (nos. 31–36)
Six Songs op. 104
Songs WoO VII/41 und VII/42
Schlichte Weisen op. 76 vol. IV (nos. 37–43)
Three Duets op. 111a
An Zeppelin WoO VI/21
Es soll mein Gebet dich tragen! WoO VII/43
Schlichte Weisen op. 76 vol. V (nos. 44–51)
An die Hoffnung op. 124
Three poems by Elsa Asenijeff WoO VII/44
Night Thoughts WoO V/7
Schlichte Weisen op. 76 vol. VI (nos. 52–60)
Hymnus der Liebe op. 136
Five new Children’s Songs op. 142