Editing Max Reger (section)

== Biography ==
Born in [[Brand, Bavaria]], Reger was the first child of Josef Reger, a school teacher and amateur musician, and his wife Katharina Philomena. The devout Catholic family moved to [[Weiden in der Oberpfalz|Weiden]] in 1874. Max had only one sister, Emma, after three other siblings died in childhood. When he turned five, Reger learned organ, violin and cello from his father and piano from his mother.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Lebenslauf|url=https://www.max-reger-institut.de/de/max-reger/lebenslauf|publisher=[[Max-Reger-Institute]]|language=de|access-date=9 July 2021|archive-date=18 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230318171327/https://www.max-reger-institut.de/de/max-reger/lebenslauf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Stein|first=Fritz|title=Max Reger|publisher=Potsdam: [[Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft Athenaion]]|year=1939}}</ref> From 1884 to 1889, Reger took piano and organ lessons from Adalbert Lindner, one of his father's students. During this time, he frequently acted as substitute organist for Lindner in the parish church of the city.<ref name=":0" /> In 1886, Reger entered into the Royal Preparatory School according to his parents' wishes to prepare for a teaching profession.

In 1888, Reger was invited by his uncle Johann Baptist Ulrich to visit the [[Bayreuth Festival]], where he heard [[Richard Wagner]]'s operas ''[[Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg]]'' and ''[[Parsifal]]''. This left a deep impression and made Reger decide to pursue a music career. In late summer of that year, Reger wrote his first major composition, the Overture in B minor, an unpublished work for orchestra with 120 pages. Lindner sent the score to [[Hugo Riemann]], who replied positively but warned him against Wagner's influence and to write melodies instead of motifs.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Lindner|first=Adalbert|title=Max Reger: Ein Bild seines Jugendlebens und künstlerischen Werdens|publisher=Stuttgart: J. Engelhorns Nachfolger|year=1922}}</ref> Reger finished the preparatory school in June 1889. Also that year, he composed a Scherzo for string quartet and flute in G minor, a three movement string quartet in D minor, and a Largo for violin and piano. At his father's request, he sent the latter two works to composer [[Josef Rheinberger]], a professor at the [[University of Music and Performing Arts Munich]], who recognized his talents. Reger eventually sought a career in music despite his father's concerns.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Popp|first1=Susanne|title=At the Turning Point to Modernism|last2=Shigihara|first2=Susanne|publisher=Bonn: Bouvier Verlag Herbert Grundmann|year=1988}}</ref>

In 1890, Reger began studying music theory with Riemann in [[Sondershausen]], then piano and theory in [[Wiesbaden]].{{sfn|Biography|2012}} The [[Max Reger works#Table of compositions|first compositions]] to which he assigned [[opus number]]s were [[chamber music]] and ''[[Lied]]er''. A concert pianist himself, he composed works for both piano and organ.{{sfn|Biography|2012}} His first work for choir and piano to which he assigned an opus number was ''[[Drei Chöre, Op. 6|Drei Chöre]]'' (1892).

Reger returned to his parental home in Weiden due to illness in 1898, where he composed his first work for choir and orchestra, ''{{lang|de|Hymne an den Gesang}}'' (Hymn to singing), [[Max Reger works#21|Op. 21]].{{sfn|Biography|2012}} From 1899, he courted [[Elsa Reger|Elsa von{{nbsp}}Bercken]] who at first rejected him.{{sfn|Lux|1963}} He composed many songs including the love poems [[Sechs Lieder, Op. 35|''Sechs Lieder'', Op. 35]].{{sfn|SWR|2016}} Reger moved to Munich in September 1901, where he obtained concert offers and where his rapid rise to fame began. During his first Munich season, Reger appeared in ten concerts as an organist, chamber pianist and accompanist. Income from publishers, concerts and private teaching enabled him to marry in 1902. Because his wife Elsa was a [[divorce]]d [[Protestantism|Protestant]], he was [[Excommunication|excommunicated]] from the Catholic Church.  He continued to compose without interruption, for example ''[[Gesang der Verklärten]]'', [[Max Reger works#71|Op. 71]].{{sfn|Biography|2012}}

In 1907, Reger was appointed musical director at the [[Paulinerkirche, Leipzig|Leipzig University Church]], a position he held until 1908, and professor at the [[Leipzig Conservatory|Royal Conservatory in Leipzig]].{{sfn|Biography|2012}}{{sfn|Schröder|1990}} In 1908 he began to compose ''{{lang|de|[[Der 100. Psalm]]}}'' (The 100th Psalm), Op. 106, a setting of Psalm 100 for mixed choir and orchestra, for the 350th anniversary of [[Jena University]]. Part I was premiered on 31 July that year. Reger completed the composition in 1909, premiered in 1910 simultaneously in [[Chemnitz]] and [[Wrocław|Breslau]].{{sfn|Op106|2016}}

[[File:Nölken, Reger.jpg|thumb|left|The composer at work, painting by [[Franz Nölken]], 1913]]
In 1911 Reger was appointed ''[[Kapellmeister#Similar terms and equivalents|Hofkapellmeister]]'' (music director) at the court of Duke [[Georg II of Saxe-Meiningen]], also taking charge of music at the [[Meiningen Court Theatre]]. He continued with his master class at the Leipzig conservatory.{{sfn|Biography|2012}} In 1913 he composed four [[tone poem]]s on paintings by [[Arnold Böcklin]] (''Vier Tongedichte nach Arnold Böcklin''), including ''Die Toteninsel'' (''[[Isle of the Dead (painting)|Isle of the Dead]]''), as his [[Max Reger works#128|Op. 128]].

He gave up the court position in 1914 for health reasons. In response to [[World War I]], already in 1914 he was planning to compose a choral work, commemorating those lost in the war. He began to set the Latin [[Requiem]] but abandoned the work as a fragment.{{sfn|Biography|2012}} He composed eight motets as his ''[[Acht geistliche Gesänge (Reger)|Acht geistliche Gesänge für gemischten Chor]]'' (Eight Sacred Songs, Op. 138), embodying "a new simplicity".{{sfn|Op138|2016}} In 1915 he moved to [[Jena]], commuting once a week to teach in Leipzig. In Jena he composed the ''[[Requiem (Reger)|Hebbel Requiem]]'' for soloist, choir and orchestra.{{sfn|Biography|2012}}
[[File:Max Reger - Grab 2020-12-24 - 497c.jpg|upright=0.75|thumb|Reger's grave, [[Munich Waldfriedhof]]]]
Reger died of a heart attack while staying at a hotel in Leipzig on 11 May 1916.{{sfn|Biography|2012}}{{sfn|Schröder|1990}} The [[Galley proof|proofs]] of ''Acht geistliche Gesänge'', including "[[Der Mensch lebt und bestehet|Der Mensch lebt und bestehet nur eine kleine Zeit]]", were found next to his bed.{{sfn|Krumbiegel|2014}}{{sfn|Brock-Reger|1953}} Six years after Reger's death, his funeral urn was transferred from his home in Jena to a cemetery in Weimar. In 1930, on the wishes of Reger's widow Elsa, his remains were moved to a grave of honour in [[Munich Waldfriedhof]].

Reger had also been active internationally as a conductor and pianist. Among his students were [[Joseph Haas]], [[Sándor Jemnitz]], [[Jaroslav Kvapil (composer)|Jaroslav Kvapil]], [[Ruben Liljefors]], [[Aarre Merikanto]], [[Sofie Rohnstock]], [[George Szell]] and [[Cristòfor Taltabull]]. He was the cousin of [[Hans von Koessler]].