Joseph Rheinberger - Three Late Organ Sonatas (Halgeir Schiager)

Information

Composer: Joseph Rheinberger

• Organ Sonata No. 12, Op. 154
• Organ Sonata No. 16, Op. 175
• Organ Sonata No. 20, Op. 196

Halgeir Schiager, organ

Date: 2026

Label: LAWO Classics

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Halgeir Schiager’s album Three Late Organ Sonatas (released on LAWO Classics) presents a focused exploration of late-Romantic and early-modern organ repertoire through three large-scale sonatas that reflect the genre’s evolution toward symphonic breadth and heightened emotional depth. Performed on a historically resonant instrument with wide tonal resources, the recording highlights the structural ambition, harmonic richness, and contrasting expressive characters of the selected works, ranging from introspective passages to monumental climaxes. Schiager’s interpretations are marked by architectural clarity, technical precision, and a strong sense of stylistic awareness, balancing scholarly insight with interpretive freedom. His playing emphasizes long melodic lines, intricate counterpoint, and dynamic shading, allowing the organ’s full timbral palette to emerge naturally within the acoustic space. The result is a coherent artistic statement that both documents key repertoire and reaffirms the organ sonata as a form of substantial expressive and structural potential.

Halgeir Schiager is a Norwegian organist born in 1955 in Biri near Gjøvik. He studied organ at the Norwegian Academy of Music, graduating in 1979 under the guidance of Magne Elvestrand, before continuing his studies in Munich and Strasbourg with professors Franz Lehrndorfer and Daniel Roth. Schiager made his concert debut at the Oslo Concert Hall in 1985 and has since performed widely across Europe, with numerous radio recordings in Germany and Norway and participation in acclaimed CD productions. In addition to his performing career, he has served as a juror for international organ competitions. He is currently organist at Grefsen Church, maintaining an active presence in both concert performance and church music life.