As a pianist and organist with a passion for Romantic music, I recently discovered the work of Reubke, in particular his Piano Sonata in B♭ minor (1857) and his Organ Sonata in C minor “Psalm 94” (1857). The latter is influenced by Liszt’s Fantasy and Fugue on “Ad nos ad salutarem undam”, premiered in 1852.

These two exciting works have so much in common that I have chosen to bring them together on a single recording. In addition to the influence of Liszt and Wagner (Reubke attended a performance of Tannhäuser conducted by Liszt in Berlin in 1856), there are clear thematic links between the two sonatas. What characterizes them above all is the orchestral vision that the composer imposes on his writing: while the piano is a naturally expressive instrument, the organ is far less so. And yet, these two sonatas manage to make us forget the keyboards for good.

Recorded December 8-10, 2024 on the Grand Orgue Cavaillé-Coll in Toulouse’s Basilique Saint-Sernin, and December 19-20, 2024 in the recording studio of the Orchestre National d’Île-de-France.
In partnership with the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris.

1. Julius Reubke, Piano Sonata in B♭ minor
Allegro maestoso
Andante sostenuto
Allegro assai 

2. Julius Reubke, Organ Sonata in C minor “Psalm 94”
Grave, Larghetto
Allegro con fuoco, Grave
Adagio, Lento
Allegro, Più mosso, Allegro assai