Reger Viola Suite No. 1 - 3. Andante sostenuto

I don’t really know anything about Max Reger except that he was German and liked fugues (a fact I recall from some long-ago music history class). I’m not sure I could even name any of his compositions outside of the three Viola Suites, and so I was a little surprised to learn (after a quick glance at Wikipedia) that he was not a violist. While they are quite difficult to play, these suites fit very well on the viola and are a good showcase for the instrument. This slow movement has long, interesting melodies with lots of opportunities to show off lush double stops in the lower register of the instrument, something violists love to do. A lot of the music I play is transcribed from other instruments, so it feels good to play a piece composed by someone who really understood the instrument!