Devotees of late-nineteenth century German organ music will know that sometimes the composer appears to call for an outrageously fast tempo by metronome markings, which, if followed, frequently leads to chaotic results. A couple of years ago, I attended a conference where Henrico Stewen presented a paper suggesting that these metronome markings may have been intended as "double click" rather than "single click." What this means in practice is that where a composer such as Max Reger calls for an Allegro con molto with a crotchet = 148 bpm, what he is asking is that a crotchet be two beats at that tempo, not one.
I have to admit that this intriguing paper whetted my appetite, and sent me back to Reger, but also opened up some new avenues on Karg-Elert (which, being a Melbourne organist, one is rather expected to play). Henrico has published his findings in various forms, and his work forms an important complement to Christopher Anderson's Max Reger and Karl Straube: Perspectives on an Organ Perfoming Tradition. You will find Henrico on Youtube presenting a ten-minute discussion of what he calls the Straube Code.
There is also a very fine video of Henrico playing Reger's Op. 59 Toccata.
Henrico has now released a CD of organ music by Reger, which you can order here.
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