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Eugen Jochum conducted the music of Max Reger as I have heard of no other conductor (In my collection is a near complete set of recordings and a complete set of the scores of the orchestral works of Max Reger, as well as all of his chamber-, his organ- and pianomusic. Even recordings of some of his rarely performed choral works are in my collection).
Reger requires of conductors more combined human aspects than is required by any of the other great classical composers (Sebastian Bach excepted): subtlety and unlimited love for the music, sincereness and humor, and the understanding of the complex mind which was Max Reger.
Eugen Jochum had all these human qualities combined. In this he was unique. I think this is what still keeps and will keep his recordings on our turntables well into this and maybe also the next millenium.
Max Reger used for An die Hoffnung opus 124 a text of Friedrich Hölderlin. As is usual with Reger, he weighted each word and syllable until he was convinced he could combine the poem with his music. Interesting in this respect are his letters to his contemporary poets (such as Martin Boelitz). Reger was never totally content with a given text.
In the case of Hölderlin's "An die Hoffnung" he even ventured to insert a new sentence, (indicated in italics below) which partly changes the meaning of the poem.
O Hoffnung! holde! gütiggeschäftige!
Die du das Haus der Trauernden nicht verschmähst
Und gerne dienend, Edle! zwischen
Sterblichen waltest und Himmelsmächten,
Wo bist du? wenig lebt' ich; doch atmet kalt
Mein Abend schon. Und Stille, dem Schatten gleich,
Bin ich schon hier; und schon gesanglos
Schlummert das schauernde Herz im Busen.
Im grünen Tale, dort, wo der frische Quell
Vom Berge täglich rauscht, und die liebliche
Zeitlose mir am Herbsttag aufblüht,
Dort, in der Stille, du holde, will ich
Dich suchen, oder wenn in der Mitternacht
Das unsichtbare Leben im Haine wallt,
Und über mir die immerfrohen
Blumen, die blühenden Sterne, glänzen,
O holde, holde! dich ja dich will ich finden
O du des Äthers Tochter! erscheine dann
Aus deines Vaters Gärten, und darfst du nicht
Ein Geist der Erde, kommen, schreck, o
Schrecke mit anderem nur das Herz mir!
O Hoffnung! O Hoffnung! holde, holde!
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