I cannot think of a single orchestral work composed during the last 100 years that has been more unfairly neglected than Reger’s delightful Serenade, Op. 95. With a mere handful of recordings to its credit – this, I believe, is the first stereo version to actually be recorded in the studio – and virtually no presence on the concert circuit, the Serenade needs all the help it can get. And what a beauty it is! The opening theme is unalloyed delight, while the first movement’s expansive workings are eventful, affectionately discursive and formally well crafted. The second subject (at 2'38'' on track 4 of the present CD) is one of Reger’s loveliest melodies and the harp chimes that signal the melting return of the opening idea (8'07'') spell genuine magic. Contrasts abound throughout: for example, the mischievous Vivace a Burlesca harbours a dark, haunting motif that reappears later on in the piece (the sunny opening serve as the other principal leitmotiv) and the Andante semplice combines the warmth of Brahms, the restraint of Faure and the nobility of Elgar. The contrapuntal finale is full of fun and the work ends – in thematic terms – from whence it began, in a mood of pastoral reverie. As to the orchestra, Reger employs winds, brass and timpani framed by two separate string groups, one playing with mutes (the one placed on the right-hand side of the stage), the other without, so that antiphonal interplay between them is underlined. Lovers of mainstream romantic repertory cannot fail to respond and Stein’s performance is, viewed overall, the most polished we have had so far.
The Suite in the Olden Style started life as a duo for violin and and piano but the orchestral version dates from the very end of Reger’s tragically short career. The rumbustious first movement opens in the manner of Bach’s Third Brandenburg Concerto; the Largo hints at Bruckner (sample, say, from 3'01'') and the fugal finale is built on a puckish theme that seems to wind on into infinity. As with the Serenade, decent rivalry is virtually non-existent (even more so with this work), though any subsequent version will need to match Horst Stein’s well-chosen tempos, buoyant phrasing and firm sense of pulse. Here, then, is an excellent CD to counter all those unfounded rumours about Reger’s ‘dry, dull, academic’ composing style. If you love Bach, Brahms, Bruckner or Dvorak – then you have the potential to love at least Reger’s Serenade virtually as much.'