Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis; Konzertmusik; Mathis der Maler
1/26/2024, 9 Tracks, 1:05:58
Featuring
Martyn Brabbins
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Paul Hindemith
Did you know?
1/7
Composition History
The Symphony 'Mathis der Maler' and the opera it's based on recall the life of 16th-century painter Matthias Grünewald, who temporarily abandoned art to fight in the Peasants' War.
Composer Biography
During World War I, Hindemith formed a string quartet with fellow soldiers and realized music's power to transcend political boundaries and the horrors of war.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Hindemith embraced 'Neue Sachlichkeit' ('New Objectivity'), an artistic movement that moved away from the emotional language of Romanticism and Expressionism.
Composition History
Hindemith's Konzertmusik for brass and strings was commissioned to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Historical Context
Paul Hindemith's 1925 letter to his publishers eerily predicted the censure he and his contemporaries would face during the Nazi era.
Composition History
The idea for Symphonic Metamorphosis after themes by Carl Maria von Weber came from choreographer Léonide Massine, who wanted strict arrangements of Weber's music for a ballet.
Critical Reception
After the successful premiere of 'Mathis der Maler' Symphony, Nazi propaganda minister Goebbels called Hindemith a 'dud,' 'charlatan,' and 'atonal noise-maker.'
