Soon after his early death in 1916, Max Reger (1873-1916) emerged as one of the most frequently performed contemporary composers in German-speaking lands. Among those dedicated to promoting and preserving his legacy was Adalbert Lindner (1860-1946), “Max Reger’s first teacher and friend” (Lindner, 1916, p. 277). In 1916, Lindner retained ten original manuscripts personally gifted to him by the composer between 1890 and August 31, 1901 (cf. Lindner, 1938, pp. 315–316). These manuscripts contained fourteen compositions that remained unpublished during Reger’s lifetime. Between 1916 and 1946, Lindner worked to premiere, sell, and disseminate these fourteen unpublished pieces, collaborating with musicians and publishers, e.g., Breitkopf & Härtel, B. Schott’s Söhne, and C. F. Peters, interested in performing and printing Reger’s lesser-known works.
My DPhil project investigates Lindner’s contested role in the posthumous publication of these compositions; it addresses his collaborations with musicians and publishers, his reliance on the composer Joseph Haas (1879-1960) as intermediary, and his legal disputes with Elsa Reger (1870-1951), Reger’s widow and legal heir. It applies Social Network Analysis (SNA) to analyse Lindner’s personal network, identify key actors, and trace broader structures of influence, collaboration, mediation, and contestation.
