Paul Hindemith

[Belle]

Started this new thread as we began talking about Hindemith in the Klaus Tennstedt discussion. Thanks, RebLem, for the information about the solo works that this composer wrote for a large number of difference instruments! Years ago I remember hearing his Piano Sonata No. 1 and it reminded me of Berg, though I don't know whether they were contiguous:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is7prjtv4Ok

[John F]

Hindemith was a solo violist before he was a conductor, and recorded his and others' viola music. There's a series made in the 1930s with Szymon Goldberg and Emanuel Feuermann as his partners; Goldberg was then concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic. These include Hindemith's trio #2 and, more enjoyably, Beethoven's serenade op. 8. All are on YouTube.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ectsxHQVVRw

[karlhenning]

I've been a Hindemith fan forever, but two wonderful operas which I have only investigated in the past year are Das Nusch-Nuschi and The Long Christmas Dinner.

Cheers,

~k.

[arepo]

Hindemith's Symphony in E flat remains never performed and remains one my all-time favorite works. Never could understand the lack of enthusiasm for this marvelous work.

cliftwood

[diegobueno]

I recently saw the New York City Ballet perform The Four Temperaments with a lovely score for strings and piano by Hindemith and choreography by Balanchine that really followed the music. It was a special delight to see dancing that seemed to be part of the music, rather than something layered on top of the music.

[Heck148]

Hindemith's Symphony in E flat remains never performed and remains one my all-time favorite works. Never could understand the lack of enthusiasm for this marvelous work. cliftwood

agree completely - marvelous work - should be a concert staple.

[maestrob]

Hindemith's Symphony in E flat remains never performed and remains one my all-time favorite works. Never could understand the lack of enthusiasm for this marvelous work. cliftwood

agree completely - marvelous work - should be a concert staple.

Second the motion! On amazon, there are nine pages of recordings of this work, including this well-known rendition from Bernstein:

[John F]

I vote nay on the symphony. Heard it with Riccardo Muti conducting the New York Philharmonic in 2010, and even he couldn't make this piece digestible, not for me anyway. Certainly not music to recommend for a first acquaintance with Hindemith.

[Belle]

Investigating that Symphony in E Flat, thanks. Look what I found:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOtR9GcLirI

Absolutely wonderful program with Leonard Bernstein. "Mathis der Maler" is indeed a beautiful work and I'm only sorry that programming in concerts halls (Vienna included) is so conservative these days with composers like Hindemith totally neglected. One becomes bored with the same old Mahler and Bruckner, with Beethoven thrown in to keep the people happy.

I was amazed at the children listening attentively at the "Young People's Concert" and it reminded me of some of the excellent children I'd see at concerts in Vienna who were well disciplined and who had grown up in a home with both musical and social expectations! It can be done!!!!

[lennygoran]

"Mathis der Maler" is indeed a beautiful work"

Belle with yesterday's second noreaster in less than a week we were indoors except for some shovelling of snow-I had a chance to watch this opera on youtube--first time hearing and seeing it-it was quite wonderful and had English sibtitles-I see NYCO did it in 1995 but I didn't know about it. Regards, Len

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JSPDikVBFc

[Modernistfan]

I am definitely a Hindemith fan and I definitely love the Symphony in E Flat, especially the Bernstein recording. I do not understand why it is not more frequently played.

[maestrob]

A good introduction to Hindemith's music would be these early stereo recordings of the composer conducting his own music: very fine! Also recommended is a DGG disc of Hindemith conducting his own works, still available. My introduction to Hindemith came as a teenager with Ormandy/Philadelphia on Columbia playing the Symphonic Metamorphosen on themes by Weber and a suite from Mathis der Maler, still two of my favorite works by Hindemith.

[Belle]

"Mathis der Maler" is indeed a beautiful work"

Belle with yesterday's second noreaster in less than a week we were indoors except for some shovelling of snow-I had a chance to watch this opera on youtube--first time hearing and seeing it-it was quite wonderful and had English sibtitles-I see NYCO did it in 1995 but I didn't know about it. Regards, Len

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JSPDikVBFc

Shovelling snow? It sounds like heaven for those of us trapped in dreadful heat since about October last year!!

[Lance]

If you have the EMI 22-CD set [17575] "Composers in Person," there are two CD's devoted to music by Hindemith as composer/performer/conductor. The Hindemith two discs were also issued separately on EMI [55032]. The following works are included:

1] Sonata for Solo Viola, Op. 25/1 (r.1934)
2] Scherzo for Viola and Cello (1934) w/Emanuel Feuerman, cello (r.1934)
3] Nobilissima visione - Suite (r.1956)
4] Symphonia serena (r.1956)
5] String Trio No. 2 w/Szymon Goldberg, violin; Emmanuel Feuermann, cello
6] Clarinet Concerto w/Louis Cahuzac, clarinet (r.1956)
7] Horn Concerto (1949) w/Dennis Brain, horn (r.1956)
8] Concert Music for Brass and Strings, Op. 50 (1930) (r.1956)

Where works include the viola, Hindemith is it. Otherwise he is the conductor in concerted works.

[Lance]

I know of at least one transfer of this Beethoven Serenade, Op. 8 to CD. It appears on Music & Arts 1225 [8 CDs] as Szymon Goldberg's Commercial Recordings, volume two of a Goldberg series. (The first volume is of live performances.)

Hindemith was a solo violist before he was a conductor, and recorded his and others' viola music. There's a series made in the 1930s with Szymon Goldberg and Emanuel Feuermann as his partners; Goldberg was then concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic. These include Hindemith's trio #2 and, more enjoyably, Beethoven's serenade op. 8. All are on YouTube.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ectsxHQVVRw

[lennygoran]

Shovelling snow? It sounds like heaven for those of us trapped in dreadful heat since about October last year!!

Belle shovelling snow might depend on whether you have back problems or not--also a large amount of snow sure isn't good when its start weighing down the trees in your garden and their branches start falling on things. Regards, Len

[Belle]

Point taken and I was only being semi-serious. We've had drought here for nearly a year and we live on 1 acre which has dying and dead trees on it now. These require cutting down and removal and that job will be done Sunday, thanks to the help of a son. I'll be inside when that's being done, listening to this by Hindemith:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HV1Tw6AvCI

When we were abroad in 2015 a huge storm sent trees down from our neighbour's place behind and these were 60' spotted gums. They tore the fence and destroyed our trees along the boundary and also a hedge. These remaining trees are an ongoing cause of concern as some are over 100ft tall and could reach the roof of our house. They will certainly not withstand the next big storm, especially after heavy rain.

[lennygoran]

These remaining trees are an ongoing cause of concern as some are over 100ft tall and could reach the roof of our house. They will certainly not withstand the next big storm, especially after heavy rain.

Belle we were watching 3 big trees swaying in the wind on our property but on the other side of the fence that goes around the garden areas--it was during these past 2 noreasters less than a week a part and when our treeman was out last week-we're probably gonna have them removed or cut back severely--even though we don't consider them part of our garden they could reach our house if they fell-it will cost us plenty but if they fell on the house it would be real bad. Regards, Len

[Belle]

These remaining trees are an ongoing cause of concern as some are over 100ft tall and could reach the roof of our house. They will certainly not withstand the next big storm, especially after heavy rain.

Belle we were watching 3 big trees swaying in the wind on our property but on the other side of the fence that goes around the garden areas--it was during these past 2 noreasters less than a week a part and when our treeman was out last week-we're probably gonna have them removed or cut back severely--even though we don't consider them part of our garden they could reach our house if they fell-it will cost us plenty but if they fell on the house it would be real bad. Regards, Len

You're in the same situation we are!! These trunks on the spotted gum are absolutely huge too. We cannot cut our neighbour's trees down. And the cost of having our own cut and/or trimmed is expensive and ongoing. They look wonderful, yes, but they can be terribly dangerous. Not such a problem in the drought, but when we've had a soaking of rain and the wind roars up from the south then we are living in fear. The house has a steel frame so I'm not sure if that would afford any protection.

[lennygoran]

You're in the same situation we are!!... And the cost of having our own cut and/or trimmed is expensive and ongoing. They look wonderful, yes, but they can be terribly dangerous... The house has a steel frame so I'm not sure if that would afford any protection.

Belle yeah we're in a similar situation. Extensive rain could loosen the soil and the trees could topple over-it's a worry. Regards, Len