Happy Present Meet
Rheinberger Sonatas No.19, 20 for Organ Solo
op.193 & op.196
Josef Rheinberger (b. 1839, d. 1901) was a
prolific composer in almost every field, but he
found in the Organ the medium best fitted to
his genius and temperament. This seems to
be proved by the fact that his reputation as an
Organ composer has grown and is now firmly
established, whereas his position in other
branches has declined. His twenty sonatas
and his numerous shorter pieces (about a
hundred) make up one of the most important
contributions to the Organ repertory. It may
indeed be claimed that, in the maintenance of
a high level of quality and interest throughout
a long series of works of both large and small
scale, his position as an Organ composer is
second only to that of Bach.
Sonata No. 19:
The G minor Sonata is one of a small
proportion of the twenty - No. 15 in D is
another - concerning whose merits players
are divided. It does not meet one half-way. It
is the longest of the twenty: some monotony
inevitably results from the use of the key of G
for all its movements : its difficulties are of the
ungrateful type : and the vigour of its first
movement is often rough-even harsh. Yet it
appears to be among the favourites of those
who know it well; the late Dr. G. J. Bennett (a
pupil of Rheinberger`s, and a devotee of the
Sonatas) placed it among the best of the later
numbers.
Sonata No. 20:
In spite of some inequalities, No. 20 makes a
worthy end to a fine series. Rheinberger`s
failing health at the time of its composition is
no doubt responsible for a few moments of
indecision, especially in the Finale. The
invention shows little, if any, falling off. In all
the sonatas there are few better themes of the
broad diatonic type than that which opens the
first movement ; and the pleasant tunes of the
Intermezzo and Pastoral, and the swinging
subject of the Finale are in the true
Rheinberger vein. But the lack of a substantial
fugal section is felt: it might well have come
as a central portion of the Finale, which
would then have been a capital example of
the Grand Chreur type so well managed by
Guilmant and other French composers.
작곡가 Rheinberger, J(1839-1901)