Julius Reubke

Friedrich Julius Reubke was a German composer, pianist and organist. In his short life, he composed the Sonata on the 94th Psalm in C minor, which is believed to be one of the greatest organ works in the classical repertoire.
Son of an organ builder, Reubke studied piano and composition with Kullak, Stern and Marx (among others) at the Berliner Musikschule, attracting von Bülow’s notice. In 1856 he went to Weimar, becoming Liszt’s favourite pupil and living at the Altenburg, Carolyne von Sayn-Wittgenstein’s villa. It was in this environment that Reubke composed his two major works, the Piano Sonata in B-flat minor, which he composed from December 1856 to March 1857, and the Sonata on the 94th Psalm in C minor, for organ, which he finished a month later; he also considered writing an opera.