Dr. G. Fredrick Guzasky, March 28, 2017
The Rheinberger Organ and Performance Practices
As with predecessors, Bach, et. al., Rheinberger’s indication of registration and division of music between the manuals is extremely sparse, and his dynamic indications might be considered nebulous at best. For all practical purposes, Rheinberger had in mind a two manual organ when amenities in regard to performance that we enjoy today; without a division under expression, but with mechanical action, and for the most part, instruments with combinations set by the builder.
To give the reader a more accurate idea of the instrument that Rheinberger had in mind during his writing, descriptions of several instruments of his day will be presented, organs whose tonal principles were based firmly in the South German tradition.
Firstly, it must be said that Johann Georg Herzog, Rheinberger’s former teacher at the Munich Conservatory, was of no small influence in the composer’s development in the area of tonal design. Herzog had in his organ method of 184 pages, the summation of his teaching instruction, and even today, this work deserves respect from a didactic point of view. The work is aimed at achievement of good fingering and pedaling as well as clear polyphonic playing, representing playing techniques in the Bach tradition.
In the introduction to his organ method, Johann Herzog gives advice concerning registration to his students. The main premises Herzog puts forth are as follows. The foundation of the art of registration is for one to understand the combing the individual stops of the organ with one another, the combination of stops strengthening the sound of the instrument and also producing a variety in tone color. Herzog gives the specification of a medium sized organ such as would be used for practice by a pupil of his school.
Hauptmanual:
a) Prinzipal 8’ b) Flote major 8’ c) Gambe 8’
Oktave 4’ Gedeckt 8’ Salizional 8’
Oktave 2’ Gemshorn 8’ Spitzflote 4’
Bordun 16’
Flote 4’
d) Trompete 8’ e) Quintflote 5 1/3’
Quinte 2 2/3’
Mixtur 5 fach
Oberwerk:
a) Geigenprinzipal 8’ b) Lieblichgedeckt 8’ c) Aeoline 8’
Fugura 4’ Rohrflote 8’ Dolce 8’
Oktave 2’ Gedeckt 4’
d) Fagott und Klarinett 8’ e) Nasatquinte 2 2/3’
Cornett (5 fach?)
Pedal:
a) Prinzipal 16’ b) Subbass 16’ c) Violonbass 16’
Oktavbass 8’ Flotenbass 8’ Violoncell 8’
Flotenbass 4’
d) Posaune 16’ e) Quintbass 5 1/3’
Clarino 4’ Quintbass 10 2/3’
Pedalmixtur f) Pedalkoppel
Herzog then gives an explanation of the various categories of pipes and stops before going on to discuss registration. Concerning registration itself, Herzog states that the basis of combining stops is using 8’ in the manual and 16’ in the pedal and that 4’ and 2’ stops in the manual and 8’ and 4’ in the pedal have the purpose of strengthening the foundational pitch, making it more clear and pronounced.
The 4’ registers in the manual especially support and set off the tonal character of the deeper fundamental pitches. By way of example, the Octave 4’ assists the Prinzipal; the Flote 4’ assists the Flote and Gedeckt 8’; the Spitzflote assists the Gambe and Geigenprinzipal. The Quints and Mixtures make the organ sound more full and intensified as well as unite the various stops of the homogeneous mass of sound.
In adding the 16’ Bordun (and in using the Quinte 5 1/3’ in the oranum plenum) the balance made by the use of 4’ and 2’ manual registers would be opposed. Herzog then gives these rules of combining stops:
1) Nothing must come before the basic ground rule of using the 8’ pitch as the foundation for the manual and 16’ for the pedal.
2) No gaps in the octave proportion as stated above are allowed in combining stops.
3) The strength of the 4’ stops must stand in proportion to the 8’ stops, and the 8’ with that of the 16’.
4) The Quinte and Terce should not be the highest stops used, but must sound through the higher lying Octave registers, the 2’ in the manual and 4’ in the pedal, in order to blend.
5) It is not allowed to combine a (single) pure stop from a similar tone color with another of the same.
6) The pedal must always be in the correct proportion to the strength of the manuals.
After his stating his rules of registration, Herzog offers following combinations asking why they violate the rules of good registrational principles. Perhaps the reader might decide upon answers based on the aforementioned considerations.
1) Gedeckt 8’, Oktave 4’, Oktave 2’
or
Salicional 8’, Oktave 4’
2) Prinzipal and Gedeckt 8’, Oktave 2’
or
Flote 8’, Gedeckt 8’, Gambe 8’, Bordun 16’, Oktave 2’
3) Lieblichgedeckt 8’, Oktave 4’ (bright, strong intonation)
Pedal: Subbass 16’, Oktavbass 8’
4) All 8’ stops without the trompete along with the Oktave 4’, Quinte 2 2/3’; and Bordun 16’
5) Gambe and Salicional 8’
or
Gambe and Clarinett 8’
or
Gambe and Quintaton 8’
6) Manual: Principal, Flote, Gedeckt, and Gambe 8’,
Bordun 16’, Oktave 4’
Pedal: Subass 16’, Violoncell 8’
FOR VERY SOFT REGISTRATION
Manual: Dolce 8’
Pedal: Bordun 16’, Salicional 8’, Pedal Coupler
or
Manual: Salicional 8’ and Lieblichgedeckt 8’
Pedal: Subbass 16’, Violoncell 8’
FOR MEDIUM REGISTRATION
Manual: Gambe and Gedeckt 8’
Pedal: Subbass 16’, Violoncell 8’
or
Manual: Flote, Gedeckt, Game 8’ Flote 4’, or when the character of the Gambe is more pronounced, use the Spitzflote 4’
Pedal: Subbass and Violonbass 16’. Violoncell 8’
FOR A MORE POWERFUL REGISTRATION
Manual: Several 8’s stops and Prinzipal 8’ and corresponding 4’ stops.
Pedal: The aforementioned pedal stops, 16’ and 8’ along with couplers.
FOR FULL ORGAN
16’, 8’, 4’ and 2’ stops, Trompete, Quinte, and Mixtur.
Under the designation “Full Organ” is first of all the representation of all similar stops in the sound mass. The reeds do not always have to be used on all manuals or registers. For example, on a two manual instrument one can use the usual 8’ stops such as the Gedeckt, Flote, Gambe, Gemshorn, then the 8’ Hauptwerk Prinzipal with the strengthening Oktave 4’ and 2’, Bordun 16’, Trompete 8’, Quinte , and Mixtur. In the pedal would be used 16’, 8’, and 4’ stops alon with pedal couplers.
Finally, in Herzog’s method, several more sample stop combinations are offered as alternatives:
FOR SOFT STOPS
Manual: Salicional and Lieblichgedeckt 8’ (or Salicional alone)
Or
Gambe and Gedeckt 8’
Pedal: Subbass 16’, Violoncell 8’
FOR BRIGHT CLEAR STOPS
Manual: Gedeckt 8’, Flote 8’, Flote 4’
Or
Gedeckt 8’, Flote 8’, Prinzipal 8’, Oktave 4’
Pedal: Subbass 16’, Violonbass 16’, Octavbass 8’.
FOR A HEAVIER REGISTRATION
Manual: Gedeckt 8’, Gambe 8’, Bordun 16’, Gedeckt 4’
Or
Gambe 8’, Hohlflote 8’, Quintaton 16’, and a soft 4’ stop.
Pedal: Subbass 16’, Violonbass 16’, pedal couplers.
FOR A FULL SERIOUS REGISTRATION
Manual: Several 8’ stops along with the Gambe 8’, Bordun 18’, and a 4’ stop.
Pedal: Subbass 16’, Violonbass 16’, Posaunenbass 16’, Violoncell 8’ and Flotenbass 8’
From Rheinberger’s notebook, a quotation of the organ at St. Anna’s Church in Munich can be taken. This instrument was built in 1880 by the firm of Franz Borgias Martz.
I. MANUAL II. MANUAL PEDAL
Prinzipal 8’ Geigenprinzipal 8’ Prinzipalbass 16’
Gambe 8’ Liebl. Gedackt 8’ Subass 16’
Salizional 8’ Aeoline 8’ Violonbass 16’
Tibia 8’ Dolce 8’ Posaune 16’
Gedackt 8’ Bordunalflote 8’ Cello 8’
Trompete 8’ Fagott-Clarinette 8’ Oktave 8’
Bordun 16’ Cornet 5fach Flote 4’
Gemshorn 4’ Stillgedackt 16’ Quinte 10 2/3’
Oktave 4’ Fugara 4’
Superoktave 2’ Traversflote 4’
Quinte 2 2/3’
Mixture 4fach
Martin Weyer, in his foreword in the Josef Gabriel Rheinberger Samtliche Werke give the following considerations based on this stop list, and thus it was this sound that Rheinberger had “in his ear” when he was composing the sonatas.
What were the principles governing such a specification? The emphasis was on the 8’ area, offering Prinzipal, Flote and Gedackt stops, together with string stops both powerful and delicate. This range of contrasts characterized manual I and also, echoing it, manual II. In octaves below this were the two 16’ stops; two 4’ stops to each provided brightness above. Trompete and Fagott-Clarinette provided an echo effect in the reeds.
In the great organ 2 2/3’, 2’ and Mixtur were intended only for tutti playing’ the 5face Cornet in II was also intended less for solo than for tutti playing. In the pedals this disposition was repeated in the 16’ register, founded on the (acoustic) 32’. Pedal 8’ and 4’ had no solo functions. To explain certain constructional and tonal features:
- Tibia 8’: mostly of fir wood, metal in treble, over-blowing,
full and carrying sound.
- Mixtur: 2 2/3’, sustaining third, amplifying, but not very bright.
- Trompete 8’: strident, powerful.
- Geigenprinzipal 8’: more delicate and string-like than Prinzipal 8’.
- Aeoline 8’: echo of the Gambe, suggesting delicate reeds.
- Dolce 8’: the quietest stop of all, no strings.
- Fagotte-Clarinette: incisive reed, often wooden corpora.
- Cornet 5fach: hornlike – intensive, an echo of the Mixtur.
- Fugura 4’: string stop akin to the Prinzipal.
- Traversflote 4’: over-blowing in treble.
- Cello 8’: wooden string stop with precise sound,
analogous to Violon 16’.
- Poaune 16’: strident, wooden bowl.
- Flotbass 4’: mostly of fir, powerful tone.
- Quintbass 10 2/3’: pinewood, mild.
Now we might turn our attention to other Bloch organ of 1823-24, on which Rheinberger in all probability practiced, a beginning influence upon Rheinberger’s ideal of the organ which would be strengthened by the Munich instructor Herzog and later through the organ builder, Steinmeyer.
Feldkirch 1823-24, built by Bloch
Hauptwerk C – f Ruckpositiv C - f
Bordun 16’ Copel 8’
Prinzipal 8’ Gamba 8’
Bordun 8’ Prinzipal 4’
Spitzflote 8’ Flote 4’
Prastant 8’(?) 4’(?) Oktav 2’
Oktav 4’ Terz 1 3/5’
Flote 4’ Quint 1 1/3’
Quint 2 2/3’
Oktav 2’ Pedal C - c
Terz 1 3/5’
Quint 1 1/3 Prinzipalbass 16’
Cornet 5 fach ?’ Subbass 16’
Mixtur 3 fach ?’ Oktavbass 8’
Zimbel 2 fach ?’ Quint 5 1/3’
Bombarde 16’
Trompete 8’
Given here are the specifications of the organ in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, built by Steinmeyer as opus 120 in 1874 built upon Rheinberger’s directives, and upon which the composer often played. The instrument has mechanical action with three fixed combinations and a free-standing key desk to enable a view of the alter. This instrument’s disposition was unfortunately change in 1947.
Vaduz, Liechtenstein, Florin-Kapelle,
Steinmeyer, op. 120, 1874
Man. I Man. II Man. II
Prinzipal 8’ Prinzipalflote 8’ Geigenprinz. 8’
Bordun 16’ Salizional 16’ Dolce 8’
Tibia 8’ Liebl. Ged. 8’ Wienerflote 8’
Gambe 8’ Aeoline 8’ Viola 4’
Gedackt 8’ Fugura 4’ Flautino 2’
Quintfl. 5 1/3’ Fl. trav. 4’
Oktave 4’ Flageolett 2’ Pedal:
Gemshorn 4’ Cornett 5 fach Prinzipal 16’
Oktave 2’ Fag.&Clarinette 8’ Violon 16’
Mixtur 4 fach Subbass 16’
Trompete 8’ Quintbass 10 2/3’
Oktavbass 8’
Violoncello 8’
Flotbass 4’
Posaune
(kein Schwellwerk!)
One hardly needs to confirm that Rheinberger himself had drawn these specifications, with which Steinmeyer himself would hardly interfere.
Rheinberger’s concept of tonal principles had scarcely changed even later in life, for we see such evidence when his wife had left a testamentary 20,000 gold marks in order for a new organ to be built according to the specifications drawn by her husband for St. Michaels. The Munich firm Marz installed the instrument in 1896, and on January 30, 1897, five years after the death of the benefactress, it was dedicated to Johann Georg Herzog, Rheinberger’s former teacher and life-time friend who had died in December of the previous year. Unfortunately, this instrument was destroyed during the Second World War. The disposition of this instrument was as follows:
St. Michael, Munich, Marz, 1896
I. Manual II. Manual
Gross-Prinzipal 16’ Geigenprinzipal 8’
Salizional 16’ Viola pomposa 16’
Prinzipal 8’ Salizional 8’
Gedeckt 8’ Doppelflote 8’
Gamba 8’ Liebl. Gedackt 8’
Rohrflote 8’ Fagott-Clarinett 8’
Quintaton 8’ Fugara 4’
Tompete 8’ Violine 4’
Octav 4’ Flageolett 2’
Spitzflote 4’ Cornett 5 fach
Quinte 2 2/3’
Octav 2’
Mixtur 4 fach
III.Manual: Pedal:
Voix celeste 8’ Untersatz 32’
Gemshorn 8’ Prinzipalbass 16’
Vox humana 8’ Subbass 16’
Tibia 8’ Violon 16’
Aeoline 8’ Posaune 16’
Traversflote 4’ Harmonikabass 16’
Dolce 4’ Octavbass 8’
Violoncello 8’
As a specific example of Rheinberger’s rare given registrational indications, one might examine the specification given above the second movement Cantilene of the eleventh sonata in the autograph:
Right hand: Manual I, with Tibia 8’ used for the solo
Left hand: Manual II, with Lieblich Gedackt 8’ and Dolce 8’ used for accompaniment
Pedal: Subbass 16’, Violoncello 8’
Thus, there is no highlighting of the melody with a solo reed, mutation, or tremolo, no staccato in the pedal, and no change of manual, and in addition, an Adagio with the eighth note = 84. Therefore, equally inappropriate would be a Baroque registration, although the Cantilene was obviously inspired by Bach’s Adagio in C Minor, or an overly Romanticized , orchestrally inspired registration, since it was only toward the end of his life that Rheinberger encountered organs suitable for the music of Max Reger or Karg-Elert.
Generally, Rheinberger, at most, gave only dynamic indications, instead of specified registrations for his compositions, one primary concern of performers today is registering Rheinberger’s works toward an authentic presentation. In reviewing the sonatas, one notices levels of terraced dynamics, and these only indicated by fff, ff, mf, p, pp, etc., in the score. Also notable is the observation that secondary manuals are much quieter than the Hauptwerk, and that the pedal division consisted of primarily 16’ and 8’ stops, all considerations to bear in mind in registering the sonatas.
The sonatas can be performed on a modest two manual instrument, and as indicated above, a division under expression is not a necessity, for Rheinberger wrote not a registrational solution to the general registrations indicated by Rheinberger’s dynamic signs, reflecting the pre-registered combinations by organ builders of the nineteenth century, would be as follows.
pp = Salicional or Aeoline 8’
Pedal – equal in intensity
p = two or three soft stops
mf = Principal 8’ or full Manual II
f = full organ on Manual I, without mixtures and mutations
ff = full organ on Manual I
At the beginning of this chapter, the disposition of a typical organ of Rheinberger’s time was given from Herzog’s organ method. Now presented will be the registrational possibilities of a “normal” organ of circa 1970 (disposition by Martin Weyer) along with Professor Weyer’s realization of Rheinberger’s dynamic indications as applicable to the late twentieth-century instrument. Weyer’s interpretation is here given merely as an aid to performers playing on a later twentieth century instrument and faced with a slightly different tonal design than Herzog and Rheinberger.
Specifications of an organ circa 1970.
Hauptwerk (I) Brustwerk (II) Pedal
- Pommer 16’ 11. Gedackt 8’ 18. Subbass 16’
- Prinzipal 8’ 12. Blockflote 4’ 19. Oktave 8’
- Koppelflote 8’ 13. Prinzipal 2’ 20. Gedacky 8’
- Oktave 4’ 14. Sifflote 1 1/3’ 21. Oktave 4’
- Flote 4’ 15. Sesquialter 2f. 22. Hintersatz
- Nasat 2 2/3’ 16. Scharf 23. Fagott 16’
- Oktave 2’ 17. Krummhorn 8’
- Mixtur
- Zimbel
- Trompete 8’ (3 Noramlkoppeln, Trem. in II)
Realization of Rheinberger’s dynamic instructions
>>Organo pleno<<
Nr. 1-4, 6, 7, 8, 10
11-15, Manualkoppel
18-23, ggf. Pedalkoppel I
ff 1-8, 10; 11, 12, 14, 15, MK
18-21, 23 Pedalkoppel II
f 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, MK
11-14, 17; 18-21; PK II
mf 3, 5, 6; 11-14, 17 bei geschlossenen
Brustwerksturen; MK; 18, 19, PK II
p 3, 5; 11, 17; MK, BW zu;
18, 20, PK I
pp 3; 11, 12 (BW zu) MK;
18, 20.
The polyphonic music of Rheinberger can become heavy and monotonous by a too-powerful registration. The texture and melodic interest demand clarity and contrast between light and heavier sections. The registration, or over-registration, should never be a burden, making the music unintelligible and intolerable, and I would certainly caution against a fussy registration – keeping in mind the modest resources Rheinberger had at his own disposal, along with stop combinations set by the organ builder. It will be for the performer, through meticulous fingering and registration to eradicate from his interpretation the dryness and heaviness of which Rheinberger is often accused.
The performer must also carefully work out melodic and contrapuntal passages, especially where wide reaches occur, being ever ready to redistribute notes between the hands to facilitate playing. I firmly believe that Rheinberger himself did not play all of the sonatas, especially during his years of illness and an incapacitated right hand, at these times writing primarily with regard to melodic, harmonic and structural considerations, rather than ease of performance.
When performing the opus of Rheinberger’s works, the organist, in addition to registration and part distribution, must take into account several other factors governed by provenance and time.
In his text, Harvey Grace advises that in many instances the performer needs to play with fire and life, using “eyes that see beyond the printed page,” or the piece will merely sound dull and noisy. For the most part, the churches wherein Rheinberger played were large reverberant buildings, with instruments placed at some distance from the listener, and thus when the performer must render these works in small American buildings, often with carpeting, a certain dryness in performance usually occurs. St. Michaels’ Church in Munich, where Rheinberger had played for a number of years, was the only Renaissance church of this size in southern Germany, built, in 1957, with an almost barn-like atmosphere and barrel-vaulted ceilings second in size only to St. Peters in Rome. In such an ambience, the organist is able to play with great élan, using a good deal of rubato, phrase bending, and leaving acoustical space between sections. One can well imagine the great roulades of sound in fantasy sections, as well as the rubato-filled slow movements. In the less impressive contemporary structures, one may have to take less time between sections, play in a more legato fashion, taking perhaps, a quicker tempo in certain movements, but still being careful to play expressively and with a certain amount of rubato.
In sonata movements with motoric rhythms or quicker tempi and durations of smaller values, it is almost mandatory in rooms with even an average amount of reverberation to detach a sixteenth note early before rests or the new beginnings of phrases, in order to render hearable the new material and give constant clarity.
As to editions for the performer, I would most recommend the hardbound two volumes (38 and 39) of Josef Gabriel Rheinberger Samtliche Werke, published by the Josef Rheinberger Archiv in Vanduz (1990-1992) as well as the individual Amadeus Verlag editions of the twenty sonatas (also published in the 1990’s). These are all far superior to earlier Novello, G. Schirmer, and other editions, wherein misprints abound.
The hardbound volumes from the Samtliche Werke also contain facsimiles, notes on the various sonatas, and a Critical Report section discussing differences among various editions such as the autograph copy, first printing, and the arrangements made by the composer himself, such as a piano duet version, or orchestral version.
Finally, an understanding of the variety in formal approach and genre is of vital importance in order for the performer to bring to life the sonatas with all their diversity for the listener.
