Max Reger: Die Cellosuiten Christian Erben

• Max Reger (1873 - 1916): Suite No.1 in G major, Op. 131c:
• 1 Reger: Suite No.1 in G major, Op. 131c: I. Prelude (Vivace) 03:27
• 2 Reger: Suite No.1 in G major, Op. 131c: II. Adagio 05:32
• 3 Reger: Suite No.1 in G major, Op. 131c: III. Fuge (Allegro) 04:25
• Suite No.2 in D minor, Op. 131c:
• 4 Reger: Suite No.2 in D minor, Op. 131c: I. Prelude (Largo) 06:05
• 5 Reger: Suite No.2 in D minor, Op. 131c: II. Gavotte (Allegretto) 03:54
• 6 Reger: Suite No.2 in D minor, Op. 131c: III. Largo 05:57
• 7 Reger: Suite No.2 in D minor, Op. 131c: IV. Gigue (Vivace) 03:10
• Suite No.3 in A minor, Op. 131c:
• 8 Reger: Suite No.3 in A minor, Op. 131c: I. Prelude (Sostenuto) 05:50
• 9 Reger: Suite No.3 in A minor, Op. 131c: II. Scherzo (Vivace) 05:54
• 10 Reger: Suite No.3 in A minor, Op. 131c: III. Andante con variazioni 08:41
• Total Runtime 52:55

Info for Max Reger: Die Cellosuiten

On his new GENUIN album, cellist Christian Erben, a member of the renowned Gewandhaus Orchestra, presents one of the most intriguing oeuvres for his instrument from the 20th century: Max Reger's three suites for solo cello. Baroque grandeur and intellectual depth, late-Romantic harmony, and masterful counterpoint: no one had explored the soloistic possibilities of perhaps the most human of all instruments as comprehensively since Johann Sebastian Bach as Max Reger did. Christian Erben delves into the immense suites down to the finest detail and brings their tonal intricacies to light!

Christian Erben, cello

Christian Erben
born in Leipzig in 1959, grew up in a family of musicians. His father, a solo cellist, and his mother, a piano lecturer, often practiced together at home, exposing him to a wide range of musical literature from an early age. Starting cello lessons at eight, followed by piano lessons, he displayed remarkable talent, winning the first prize at the Bach Competition for Students and Youth in Leipzig in 1975. From this time onwards, he also played music with his parents and siblings (flute, violin) in the evenings of the “Stunde der Musik”, a GDR-wide concert series.

This allowed him to gain his first performance experience for further musical development. Subsequently, he pursued formal studies, first in Berlin with Bernhard Günther and Josef Schwab and later in Leipzig with his father, Friedemann Erben, where he earned his degree. Christian Erben then took up positions as a solo cellist in theaters in Bautzen and Cottbus, furthering his studies with Jürnjakob Timm. Since 1989, he has been a member of the Gewandhaus Orchestra.

Christian Erben’s primary focus is chamber music with piano. He co-founded the Leipzig Piano Quartet and performs with the piano trio “Notturno” alongside his wife, pianist Ute Erben. Their performances grace venues such as the Gewandhaus, Mendelssohn House, and Schumann House, as well as stages across Germany. Additionally, he has recorded a CD featuring arrangements of orchestral works by Mendelssohn Bartholdy for violin, cello, and piano for four hands.

The musician plays on a cello from the workshop of George Panormo, built in 1840 in London.

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