Max Reger: The Last Giant / Maximum Reger
This exhaustive set of 6 DVDs presents more than 15 hours of content including three feature-length video documentaries and videographed performances of 12 hours of Reger's music, including five hours of organ music performed on five organs built in Reger's lifetime in the late 19th and early 20th centuries: Sauer organs at the Petri Dom in Bremen and at the Lutherkirche in Chemnitz; an E. F. Walcker organ at the Stadtkirche in Ludwigsburg, a Link organ at the Pauluskirche in Ulm, and a Weimbs organ at the Michaeliskirche in Weiden. Organists are Bernhard Buttmann, Bernhard Haas, and Graham Barber.

The high-quality, widescreen video includes superb audio in Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound which will also play in conventional stereo on any DVD player and TV (or computer equipped with a DVD drive). The DVDs are Region-Free, so they may be played anywhere in the world.

Like the award-winning and universally lauded earlier productions of Fugue State Films, especially the "The Genius of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll" and subsequent, related sets on César Franck and Charles-Marie Widor, this grandest production yet about Max Reger begins with a video appreciation of Reger's music and life, "Max Reger, The Last Giant," linking the music in all genres with a biographical survey narrated by producer Will Fraser, himself. Featured are examples of musical works and highly salient comments on them by performers, brilliantly juxtaposed by Fraser. The video documentary continues in a total of three parts.

This astonishing production treats Reger's musical genius as a whole, surveying works in all genres (he composed all but opera). The roster of 34 solo performers beautifully recorded and videographed on the 6 DVDs also includes two symphony orchestras, two string quartets, and a piano trio. The 3-part documentary portions of the set use exemplary excerpts of the performances as background and illustration of points being presented.

6 x DVD | 88-page Booklet | NTSC | 16:9 Widescreen | Region Free | Dolby Digital 5.1 | FSFDVD011

In addition to the approximately 3-hour documentary in three sections, the 6 DVDs contain 12 hours of performances of Reger's compositions in all forms except opera. Here is a list of the repertoire, arranged by genre and generally in chronological order of its composition:

ORGAN
Passacaglia, op. 16, no. 4, from Suite in E Minor for organ (1895)
Graham Barber, Weimbs organ, Michaeliskirche, Weiden

Fantasy on "A Mighty Fortress," op. 27 for organ (1898)
Graham Barber, Weimbs Organ, Michaeliskirche, Weiden

Fantasy on "Rejoice Greatly, O My Soul!," op. 30 for organ (1898)
Bernhard Buttmann, Link organ, Pauluskirche, Ulm

Fantasy on "All Men Must Die," op. 52, no. 1 of 3 Choral Fantasies for organ (1900)
Bernhard Haas, Walcker Organ, Stadtkirche, Ludwigsburg

Fantasy on "Wachet auf . . ." op. 52, no. 2
Bernhard Buttmann, Link-Orgel, Pauluskirche, Ulm

Fantasy on "Halleluja! Gott zu loben . . ." op. 52 , no. 3
Graham Barber, Weimbs organ, Michaeliskirche, Weiden

Fugue, op. 56, no. 3 of Five Easy Preludes and Fugues for organ (1901)
Max Reger, via roll-playing Welte pipe organ

Symphonic Fantasy and Fugue, op. 57 for organ (1901)
Bernhard Buttmann, Link organ, Pauluskirche, Ulm

from 12 Pieces for organ, op. 59 (1901): Intermezzo, no. 3; Kanon, no. 4; Melodia, no. 11
Graham Barber, Weimbs organ, Michaeliskirche, Weiden
Te Deum, no. 12
Bernhard Buttmann, Link Organ, Pauluskirche, Ulm

Organ Sonata in D Minor, op. 60 (1901) d-Moll Op. 60
Bernhard Haas, Walcker Organ, Stadtkirche, Ludwigsburg

from 12 Pieces for Organ, op. 65 (1902): Rhapsody, no. 1; Capriccio, no. 2; Pastorale, no. 3; Consolation, no. 4
Graham Barber, Weimbs organ, Michaeliskirche, Weiden
Canzona, no. 9; Scherzo, no. 10
Bernhard Buttmann, Link Organ, Pauluskirche, Ulm

from 52 Easy-to-Play Preludes on Popular Chorales, op. 67, for organ (1900-1903): "Dir, dir, Jehova, will ich singen!," no. 12; "Jauchz, Erd’, und Himmel, juble!," no. 15; "Jesu Leiden, Pein und Tod," no. 14; "Mach’s mit mir, Gott, nach deiner Güt," no. 25; "Wer weiss, wie nahe mir mein Ende," no. 49
Graham Barber, Sauer organ, Lutherkirche, Chemnitz

Basso ostinato, op. 69, no. 3 from 10 Pieces for the organ (1902-3)
Bernhard Haas, Walcker organ, Stadtkirche, Ludwigsburg
Capriccio, op. 69, no. 5
Bernhard Buttmann, Link organ, Pauluskirche, Ulm

Variations and Fugue on an Original Theme, op. 73, for organ (1903)
Graham Barber, Sauer organ, Lutherkirche, Chemnitz

from 12 Pieces for Organ, op. 80: Prelude, no. 1
Bernhard Haas, Walcker organ, Stadtkirche, Ludwigsburg
Romanze, no. 2; Perpetuum Mobile, no. 3
Bernhard Buttmann, Link organ, Pauluskirche, Ulm

Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue in E Minor, op. 127 for organ (1913)
Bernhard Haas, Sauer Organ, St Petri Dom, Bremen

Melodia, no. 4; Capriccio, no. 5, Nine Pieces, op. 129 for organ (1913)
Bernhard Buttmann, Link organ, Pauluskirche, Ulm

Fantasie and Fugue in D Minor, op. 135b for organ (1915)
published version and long version per the manuscript
Graham Barber, Sauer organ, Lutherkirche, Chemnitz

PIANO
Sonata in F Minor, op. 5 for cello and piano, mvt 1 Allegro
Katharina Troe, cello; Hagen Schwarzrock, piano

"Appassionato" and "Chant sans paroles" from Kleine Stücke, op. 13 for piano (1893)
Andrew Brownell, piano

from 111 Kanons in all Major and Minor keys (1895): Andante grazioso in 2 voices, Bk 1, no. 59 and Andante in 3 voices, Bk 2, no. 46
Andrew Brownell, piano

Nordic Dance, no. 18 from 20 Small Pieces "From the time of Youth," Op. 17 for piano (1898)
Markus Becker, piano

Improvisations, op. 19, nos. 1, 2, 6 for piano (1897)
Markus Becker, piano

Humoresque, op. 20, no. 1 of Five Humoresques for piano (1898-99)
Oliver Kern, piano

Resignation, op. 26, no. 5 of Seven Fantasies for piano (1898)
Oliver Kern, piano

Variations and Fugue on a Theme of J. S. Bach, op. 81, for piano (1904)
Rudolf Meister, piano
arr. for orchestra by Ira Levin,
Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester, Ira Levin, cond.

From My Diary, 12 Little Pieces, op. 82, for piano (1904): Vivace, Bk 1, no 7; Larghetto, Bk 1, no.12
Markus Becker, piano

Romanze, op. 87, no. 2 (2 Compositions,1905?)
Sayaka Shoji, violin; Julien Quentin, piano

Sonatina in D, op. 89, no. 2 (Five Sonatinas, 1905) for piano
für Klavier
Markus Becker, piano

No. 3 Molto adagio from "Dreams at the Fireplace," Twelve Little Pieces for piano, op. 143 (1915)
Markus Becker, piano

CHAMBER MUSIC
Largo in D, Fantasie caracteristique WoO II/3 for violin, cello and piano (1889)
Hyperion Trio

Sonata in D Minor, op. 1 for violin and piano (1891), mvts. 1 Allegro maestoso & 3 Adagio
Egidius Streiff, violin; Alessandro Tardino, piano

String Quatet in A, op. 54, no. 2 (complete) of 2 Quartets (1901)
Aris Quartett

Sonata in C, op. 72, for violin and piano (1903)
Egidius Streiff, violin; Alessandro Tardino, piano

String Quarted in D Minor, op. 74, mvt. 1 Allegro agitato e vivace (1903)
Aris Quartett

Compositions for violin and piano, op. 79d (1901-2): Wiegenlied, no. 1; Capriccio, no. 2; Burla, no. 3
Egidius Streiff, violin; Alessandro Tardino, piano

Romance in G for violina and piano, WoO II/10 (1901)
Sayaka Shoji, violin; Julien Quentin, piano

Sonata in B, op. 91, no. 3 (7 Sonatas for violin, 1905)
Egidius Streiff, violin

Six Lectures (Suite in A, 1908), op. 103a
Aria, op. 103a, no. 3 for cello and piano
Julius Berger, cello; Oliver Kern, piano
entire Suite in A, op. 103a, nos. 1-6, for violin and piano or organ
Katharina Wildermuth, violin; Evgenia Rubinova, piano

Sonata in A Minor, op. 116 for cello and piano (1910)
Julius Berger, cello; Oliver Kern, piano

Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, op. 117, no. 2, for violin alone from Preludes and Fugues, Chaconne, etc. (1909-1912)
Sayaka Shoji, violin

String Sextet in F, op. 118 (1910) for 2 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos
Diogenes Quartett + Roland Glassl, Wen-Sinn Yang

Suite in G Minor, op. 131d, no. 1 for viola (of 3 Suites, op. 131d, 1915)
Roland Glassl, viola

ORCHESTRA
Variations and Fugue on a Theme of J. S. Bach, op. 81, for piano (1904)
arr. for orchestra by Ira Levin
Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester, Ira Levin, cond.

An die Hoffnung Op. 124 for alto and orchestra (1912)
Frauke May, mezzo; WDR Funkhausorchester, Wayne Marshall, cond.

Four Tone Poems after Paintings by A. Böcklin, op. 128 for orchestra (1912)
Klaudyna Schulze-Broniewska, violin; Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester, Ira Levin, cond.

Aria for string orchestra after the chorale prelude "O Mensch bewein" of J. S. Bach (1915)
Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester, Ira Levin, cond.

SONGS
"Gebet," op. 4, no. 1 of 6 Songs (1890); "Verlassen," op. 15, no. 9 of 10 Songs (1894); "Gluckes Genung," op. 37, no. 3 of 5 Songs (1899); "Viola d'Amour," op. 55 no. 11, of 15 Songs (1901); "The Mermaid," op. 62, no. 10, of 16 Songs (1902); "Morning," op. 66, no. 10, of 12 Songs (1902); from Simple Ways, op. 76 (pub. 1904-12): "The Mother Speaks," no. 28; "The Fountain Singing," no. 33; "Two Mice," no. 48; "Maria's Lullaby," no. 52. "Early in the Morning," WoO VII/41 (1907). "Bitte," no. 5 of Five New Children's Songs, op. 142 (1915)
Frauke May, mezzo; Bernhard Renzikowski, piano