REGER, Max, German composer: b. Brand, Bavaria, 19 March 1873; d. Jena, 12 March 1916. He removed with his family to Weiden in 1874, and received his early musical training under his father and an organist named Lindner. In 1890-95 he studied under Riemann at Sondershausen and at the Conser vatorium at Wiesbaden. He was a teacher at the Conservatorium in 1895-96, performed mili Lary service in 1896-97, and in 1901 settled Munich. He went to Leipzig in 1907, becoming director at the university and of compo sition at the Conservatory, and in 1908 he be came professor at the university. In 1911 he was appointed court conductor of the Meiningen Orchestra by the Duke of Meiningen. He• oc cupied a foremost place among modern German composers of chamber and church music and by many critics is considered the logical successor of the great German masters, Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. His work was highly individual and his facility in the art of counterpoint re markable; although the complexities of his ex pression in harmony, rhythm and form are at times difficult to follow, even for experienced listeners. His power of invention was extraor
dinary and the volume of his compositions enormous, his Opus 100 being completed when he was 34. His works for the organ are ranked next to Bach's. Besides chamber musk, choral works with orchestra, piano pieces and several hundred songs he made numerous transcrip tions of songs, orchestral and organ works for the piano. Among his organ works are 'Fantasje and Fugue in C minor' (Op. 29) ; 'Sonata, F sharp minor) (Op. 33) ; 'Fantasie and Fugue on Bach' (Op. 46) ; 'Variations and Fugue on an Original Theme' (Op. 73) ; 'Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue) (Op. 127); his works for the pianoforte include (Im provisation' (Op. 18) ; (Op, 25) ; 'Sonata for piano and (Op. 72) ;'Sonata for piano and violincello in F' (Op. 78), and among his orchestral works are 'Sinfonietta> (Op. 90; his first opus for orchestra) ; (Ouver ture zu einem Lustspiel) (Op. 120) ; 'Klavier konzert> (Op. 114). He explained something of his method in zur Modulation slehre) (1903).