Reger: Violin Sonata No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 122 & Suite for Violin & Piano in A Minor, Op. 103a

Album review

Though not for the Reger neophyte, the performances here of two violin and piano works by the Bavarian fin de siècle composer will be just the thing for the seasoned Reger veteran. For one thing, it contains his massively constructed and intensely expressive four-movement Violin Sonata in E minor, Op. 122, a work that has received only two previous recordings in the digital era. For another, it contains his pseudo-Baroque and surprisingly ingratiating five-movement Suite in A minor, Op. 103a, a work that has received no previous recordings in the digital era. Most importantly, the performances here by the Swedish violin and piano team of Ulf Wallin and Roland Pöntinen are outstanding. Whether it's scored for orchestra, chorus, organ, or chamber ensemble, most performances of Reger's music tend toward the thick and gnarly. Reger's music itself tends in that direction, but as this disc shows, Reger's music benefits from performances that don't take those qualities for granted. The aching lyricism of the Aria from the suite, the humor of the sonata's dryly witty Vivace, and the mystery of the suite's weirdly evocative Gavotte all emerge as revelatory qualities. As they've demonstrated in previous recordings of such heavy duty repertoire as Hindemith's violin sonatas and Schnittke's works for violin and piano, the Swedish duo has sense, sensitivity, strength, and a big collective soul, and in these performances, Reger's violin sonata sounds like the rightful successor to Brahms' sonatas, and his suite sounds like the rightful heir of Bach's suites. Recorded in cool but vivid sound by CPO at Deutschlandradio in 2006, this disc will prove that Reger's music is worthy to stand with that of other fin de siècle German and Austrian masters.

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