Hindemith: Symphony "Mathis der Maler" & Symphony in E-Flat Major

Featuring

Christoph Eschenbach
NDR Sinfonieorchester
Paul Hindemith

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Historical Context

The premiere of the Symphony 'Mathis der Maler' in 1934 was the last premiere of an orchestral work by Hindemith in Germany before his works were banned by the National Socialist regime in late 1936.

Compositional Technique

The three movements of the Symphony 'Mathis der Maler' are inspired by panels of the Isenheim Altarpiece by Mathias Grünewald: 'Engelkonzert' (Concert of Angels), 'Grablegung' (Entombment), and 'Versuchung des heiligen Antonius' (Temptation of St. Anthony).

Performer Biography

Christoph Eschenbach, the conductor on this album, has held dual music director positions at the Orchestre de Paris (2000-2010) and the Philadelphia Orchestra (2003-2008), and currently at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Symphony Orchestra.

Composer Biography

Paul Hindemith left Germany in 1938 due to the National Socialist dictatorship, initially finding exile in Switzerland.

Recording & Production

This album was recorded live in April 2013 at Laeiszhalle, Hamburg, and Kieler Schloss, Kiel, and produced by Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR).

Composition History

Paul Hindemith composed the Symphony 'Mathis der Maler' by combining instrumental parts and new compositions from his opera Mathis der Maler, which is about the Renaissance painter Mathias Grünewald.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Hindemith's opera Mathis der Maler explores the question of an artist's ethos, using the painter Mathis's realization that his true calling is art, founded on faith and his native soil.