It's one of the most difficult piano concertos ever written: the Piano Concerto in F minor, Op. 114 by Max Reger. Peter Serkin masters the piano part of this late-Romantic concerto with brilliance. He performs it together with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, conducted by Herbert Blomstedt. The performance took place on October 27, 2016, at the Gewandhaus Leipzig.
(00:00) I. Allegro moderato
(21:20) II. Largo con gran espressione
(33:08) III. Allegretto con spirito
During his lifetime, the German composer Max Reger (1873–1916) was highly controversial: some considered his work too backward-looking, while others found it too progressive. In fact, Reger stands between late Romanticism and modernism, though today he is generally classified as a late-Romantic composer. His most important works are probably his organ compositions, about which he is said to have remarked that they are difficult to play and demand from the performer not only complete technical mastery, but also intelligent and inspired musicianship.
This double challenge also applies to Reger’s only piano concerto, the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in F minor, Op. 114. Reger dedicated it to Frieda Kwast-Hodapp (1880–1949), one of the finest German pianists of her time. As early as 1906, Reger had promised the virtuoso pianist that he would write a piano concerto for her, but he didn't fulfill that promise until 1910. The Piano Concerto in F minor was composed between May and July of that year, and the score appeared in print in September — it also included a version for piano four hands prepared by Reger himself. The premiere took place on December 15, 1910, at the Gewandhaus Leipzig, with Kwast-Hodapp at the piano and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra conducted by Arthur Nikisch. The audience responded very poorly to the concerto.
As far as genre is concerned, Reger’s Piano Concerto has also been described as a "symphony with obbligato piano," because the complex piano part often merges with the orchestral texture over long stretches. Additionally, there's cadenza in which the soloist can display his pianistic virtuosity. Nevertheless, the piano part fully comes into its own and stands out from the orchestra with its demanding passages.
The form of the concerto is also interesting: it's traditional in that it has three movements, although the first movement takes up about half of the entire work. Its motivic and thematic structure, however, is highly complex, and the stated tonality more or less dissolves into chromaticism — at no point are the themes melodic. The most memorable passages are the many places where Reger incorporates familiar chorale melodies into the piano concerto. This reflects the late-Romantic composer's deep familiarity with church music — especially with organ music.
Reger himself described his monumental Piano Concerto in F minor as "harsh and serious" and predicted that it would remain misunderstood for years to come. And that indeed proved to be the case. Perhaps because of its high level of difficulty, the concerto has rarely been performed even up to the present day. Its first recording was not made until 1959, with the distinguished pianist Rudolf Serkin (1903–1991). In that respect, it is perhaps not surprising that his son, Peter Serkin (1947–2020), became a tireless champion of Reger’s piano concerto — as if carrying on his father’s legacy. For this performance, given on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Max Reger’s death, Peter Serkin the perfect performer to bring the demanding piano part to life as sonorously as possible.
© 2026 Accentus Music
Text: Rita Kass
Watch more concerts here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBV5A14dyRWy1KSkwcG8LEey
More famous piano concertos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBU7k2TJgrgNCc9aygnNkaGZ
And more pieces from the Romantic period: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_SdnzPd3eBUCHNKKxIIM88sntDk1TVih
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