A thoughtful and thought-provoking video. I've a great deal of respect for Hindemith but his music can seem "dry". I have bought quite a few discs over the years and even worked out a Playlist during Covid-19 lockdown to try to get to grips with unfamiliar works. In late 1970s Scotland, the Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber was the set study work for senior (high) school Music exams across the country. I have always liked his comment: "Atonality is simply a cheap excuse for mental laziness".
The one composition I find dry as dust is the Ludus Tonalis. It's fascinating and inviting in concept and on the page, but the musical material seems uninspired.
Just a week ago - Nahre Sol did a video called "This Melody is Genius and Underrated". It's about Hindemith's Viola Sonata. Thankfully it's giving the music a bit of new exposure - her channel has nearly 800K subscribers! I find Hindemith very accessible - I think some newcomers to Classical tend to be very wary of 20th Century composers beyond a few select figures who they can "trust" to be accessible. Tuneful, emotionally resonant, and also has a "unique voice" that made him innovative and sufficiently "contemporary" at the same time.
Ludus Tonalis is one of my 20th century piano bibles, and one I "compulsively collect." Being able to find Sviatoslav Richter's recording a few years ago was one of my collecting highlights.
And speaking of whatever happened: I feel there's a best cycle video crying out to be made of Mozart's piano sonatas, which along with his violin sonatas I find quite enjoyable and underappreciated as such.
I also have no idea why this happened. But then again a lot of major Modern composers are ignored: Bloch, Milhaud, Honegger, Weill, Dutilleux, Holmboe, etc. Obviously, it relates to your point about the ossification of The Canon, especially when it comes to the 19th century.
Hindemith is one of my favourite composers. I totally agree with everything you say. There are so many accessible masterpieces by Hindemith that should be part of the standard repertoire. To beginners, I would recommend the concertante works known as Kammermusik.
Yes, it's a shame. I love his music and has been listening through all of his orchestral music this summer. That was on your recommendation i bought the complete orchestral music on 15 CD:s with Werner Andreas Albert, recorded in the 80s and 90s. So much good stuff! They sadly didn't record the trautonium concert... Perhaps nobody could play trautonium anymore... but it's a fabulous work! And also the chamber music for piano, violin, viola, cello, all wind instruments etc. And his operas! Everything from expressionistic horror to comedy, children's music or philosophical issues. His many songs and cantatas are wonderful too. I also must say, that he was a contrapuntal master at the level of Bach! Nobody could match his skills of different ongoing happenings. His Ludus Tonalis is a peak in the piano literature, and should be performed and recorded much more frequently. He had a wonderful sense of homour too. Just think of the finale from the concerto for winds and harp, where the entire movement is based on Mendelssohn's wedfing march, played by the clarinet, while the others play totally different things. Or his rendering of the Tannhäuser overture for strings "as played a vista by a not sober group of amateurs" or something like that. Just hilarious! And don't forget, he was both an influential teacher and music theorist, as well as a respected conductor and one of the greatest viola players, aside from that he could play almost every instrument of the orchestra! He was as complete a musician as anyone ever has been. So I really hope he will get a revival!
The violists are keeping some of Hindemith popping up in recordings of the recent decades - Der Schwanendreher in particular deserves to be heard more often.
There are 6 or 7 viola sonatas? Iirc. The 1937 sonata is my favorite and even violists don’t play it. Thanks Dave for taking up my suggestion in some form!
I have to commit to really paying attention to Hindemith. If I get lost it is difficult to find my way back. Even the pieces I have performed have not stayed in my mind/heart. However I will never give up. I know that it is good for me unlike Strauss or other easier composers.
Christoph Eschenbach has been a strong recent Hindemith advocate on Ondine: Violin Cto, Symphonic Metamorphosis, Konzertmusic Op. 50 ; Kammermusik (2 discs); Mathis de Maler, Symphony in E flat; Piano Cto for Left Hand w Leon Fleisher (coupled with Dvorak Sym 9). I've found Hindemith survives a bit more than one might expect, privately if not publicly (outside of music schools at least), because of the Glenn Gould recordings, i.e. you have non-classical specialists who get heavily into Gould and don't have any preconceived bias against PH.
BEST Hindemith in Op. order : / / Kleine Kammermusik, Op. 24, No. 2 (1922) / Konzert Für Orchester Op. 38 (1925) / Kammermusik No.4, Op.36 No.3 (1925) / Concert Music For Brass and Strings, Op. 50 (1930) / Konzertmusik for Piano, Brass and Harp op. 49 (1930) / 7 Triostücke für 3 Trautonium(1930) / Mathis der Maler(1934) / Langsames Stück Und Rondo Für Trautonium(1935) / Sonata for Oboe and Piano (1938) / Sonata For 2 Piano/Four Hands (1938) / Sonata for Horn and Piano in F major (1939) / Sonata For Trumpet And Piano (1939) / Symphony in E-flat Major (1940) A2 Sehr Langsam / Sonata For Trombone And Piano (1941) / Concerto For Horn And Orchestra(1949) / Concerto for Bassoon, Trumpet and strings (1949/1954) / Die Harmonie Der Welt (1951) / Oktett fur Klarinette, Fagott, Horn, Violine, 2 Bratschen, Cello und Kontrabass(1957/58)
Thank you for giving Hindemith some love. He had a wonderful melodic gift, and I find much of his music quite affecting. And no one could top his orchestral scoring of the brass--and there is plenty of it! Glenn Gould promoted Hindemith, and his recording of the three piano sonatas is Gould at his best. Even so, it would be nice to have others, but they seem rather scarce. He seems not to have recorded Ludus Tonalis, which is certainly surprising. Could his Das Marienleben with Roxolana Roslak be a Greatest Recording Ever?
In many ways he was every bit as good as Stravinsky and Bartók. His piano concerto for the left hand, 'Klaviermusik mit Orchester', was only made available for performance at the beginning of this century but it was completed in 1923, one year before Stravinsky's Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments and three years before Bartók's Piano Concerto no.1. It not only predates them but, had it been performed when it was due, it might even have made the other works, especially Bartók's, sound somewhat derivative. I've often wondered if Bartók might have had access to the score since passages in his work seem reminiscent of the work by Hindemith. I'm sure it's coincidental and a result of the Zeitgeist but it's interesting to hear them back to back. Hindemith's piece does not exclude the strings as Stravinsky's and also Bartok's in the first movement but the wind and percussion are very much to the fore. It also sets 'primitivist' ideas in a neoclassical formal setting. The themes based on violently repeated notes on the piano with replies from the orchestra are noticeably present in both Bartók's and Hindemith's concertos. Thank you for remembering Hindemith once again.
Dave, really appreciate your advocacy for Hindemith for both personal history and aesthetic reasons. I’m clearing out a lot of music right now but have kept all of his. The MDG set of all those sonatas needs re-released! However, the great hive mind of clever classical listening has been operating and doesn’t listen to much Hindemith. There’s so much other wonderful music from the 20s through 50s, and it’s not most of it atonal at all (we’re talking Bartok, Stravinsky, Milhaud, Ravel, Walton,Britten, etc etc etc - so the ‘not listening’ to Hindemith has pretty much nothing to do with atonality and hypermodernism). The question has to be looked at at both ends - not just why are we not doing so much Hindemith now, but why on earth did he acquire the reputation he did at one point? I really find some of his work exciting, but other things, well, I’m not surprised they didn’t have sustaining power, sorry.
I agree. I never said everything was equally wonderful, but a lot of it is, and surely enough to sustain his reputation as a major creative voice who's worth listening to.
A thoughtful and thought-provoking video. I've a great deal of respect for Hindemith but his music can seem "dry". I have bought quite a few discs over the years and even worked out a Playlist during Covid-19 lockdown to try to get to grips with unfamiliar works. In late 1970s Scotland, the Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber was the set study work for senior (high) school Music exams across the country. I have always liked his comment: "Atonality is simply a cheap excuse for mental laziness".
The one composition I find dry as dust is the Ludus Tonalis. It's fascinating and inviting in concept and on the page, but the musical material seems uninspired.
Just a week ago - Nahre Sol did a video called "This Melody is Genius and Underrated".
It's about Hindemith's Viola Sonata. Thankfully it's giving the music a bit of new exposure - her channel has nearly 800K subscribers!
I find Hindemith very accessible - I think some newcomers to Classical tend to be very wary of 20th Century composers beyond a few select figures who they can "trust" to be accessible.
Tuneful, emotionally resonant, and also has a "unique voice" that made him innovative and sufficiently "contemporary" at the same time.
Ludus Tonalis is one of my 20th century piano bibles, and one I "compulsively collect." Being able to find Sviatoslav Richter's recording a few years ago was one of my collecting highlights.
And speaking of whatever happened: I feel there's a best cycle video crying out to be made of Mozart's piano sonatas, which along with his violin sonatas I find quite enjoyable and underappreciated as such.
I also have no idea why this happened. But then again a lot of major Modern composers are ignored: Bloch, Milhaud, Honegger, Weill, Dutilleux, Holmboe, etc. Obviously, it relates to your point about the ossification of The Canon, especially when it comes to the 19th century.
Absolutely loved this and agree with all points in this video. Could you by chance do a greatest recordings on Copeland’s Fanfare of the Common Man?
Hindemith is one of my favourite composers. I totally agree with everything you say. There are so many accessible masterpieces by Hindemith that should be part of the standard repertoire. To beginners, I would recommend the concertante works known as Kammermusik.
Yes, it's a shame. I love his music and has been listening through all of his orchestral music this summer. That was on your recommendation i bought the complete orchestral music on 15 CD:s with Werner Andreas Albert, recorded in the 80s and 90s. So much good stuff! They sadly didn't record the trautonium concert... Perhaps nobody could play trautonium anymore... but it's a fabulous work!
And also the chamber music for piano, violin, viola, cello, all wind instruments etc.
And his operas! Everything from expressionistic horror to comedy, children's music or philosophical issues.
His many songs and cantatas are wonderful too.
I also must say, that he was a contrapuntal master at the level of Bach! Nobody could match his skills of different ongoing happenings.
His Ludus Tonalis is a peak in the piano literature, and should be performed and recorded much more frequently.
He had a wonderful sense of homour too. Just think of the finale from the concerto for winds and harp, where the entire movement is based on Mendelssohn's wedfing march, played by the clarinet, while the others play totally different things. Or his rendering of the Tannhäuser overture for strings "as played a vista by a not sober group of amateurs" or something like that. Just hilarious!
And don't forget, he was both an influential teacher and music theorist, as well as a respected conductor and one of the greatest viola players, aside from that he could play almost every instrument of the orchestra! He was as complete a musician as anyone ever has been.
So I really hope he will get a revival!
The violists are keeping some of Hindemith popping up in recordings of the recent decades - Der Schwanendreher in particular deserves to be heard more often.
There are 6 or 7 viola sonatas? Iirc. The 1937 sonata is my favorite and even violists don’t play it.
Thanks Dave for taking up my suggestion in some form!
I’m a big fan as well & really enjoyed the chat
I have to commit to really paying attention to Hindemith. If I get lost it is difficult to find my way back. Even the pieces I have performed have not stayed in my mind/heart. However I will never give up. I know that it is good for me unlike Strauss or other easier composers.
Love Hindemith, got all the cpo sets, thanks to your recommendations. Thank you.
Christoph Eschenbach has been a strong recent Hindemith advocate on Ondine: Violin Cto, Symphonic Metamorphosis, Konzertmusic Op. 50 ; Kammermusik (2 discs); Mathis de Maler, Symphony in E flat; Piano Cto for Left Hand w Leon Fleisher (coupled with Dvorak Sym 9). I've found Hindemith survives a bit more than one might expect, privately if not publicly (outside of music schools at least), because of the Glenn Gould recordings, i.e. you have non-classical specialists who get heavily into Gould and don't have any preconceived bias against PH.
BEST Hindemith in Op. order : /
/ Kleine Kammermusik, Op. 24, No. 2 (1922)
/ Konzert Für Orchester Op. 38 (1925)
/ Kammermusik No.4, Op.36 No.3 (1925)
/ Concert Music For Brass and Strings, Op. 50 (1930)
/ Konzertmusik for Piano, Brass and Harp op. 49 (1930)
/ 7 Triostücke für 3 Trautonium(1930)
/ Mathis der Maler(1934)
/ Langsames Stück Und Rondo Für Trautonium(1935)
/ Sonata for Oboe and Piano (1938)
/ Sonata For 2 Piano/Four Hands (1938)
/ Sonata for Horn and Piano in F major (1939)
/ Sonata For Trumpet And Piano (1939)
/ Symphony in E-flat Major (1940) A2 Sehr Langsam
/ Sonata For Trombone And Piano (1941)
/ Concerto For Horn And Orchestra(1949)
/ Concerto for Bassoon, Trumpet and strings (1949/1954)
/ Die Harmonie Der Welt (1951)
/ Oktett fur Klarinette, Fagott, Horn, Violine, 2 Bratschen, Cello und Kontrabass(1957/58)
Yes! He deserves better. (Beginning of Elfman's Batman theme is very similar to beginning of Mathis Der Maler.)
Thank you for giving Hindemith some love. He had a wonderful melodic gift, and I find much of his music quite affecting. And no one could top his orchestral scoring of the brass--and there is plenty of it! Glenn Gould promoted Hindemith, and his recording of the three piano sonatas is Gould at his best. Even so, it would be nice to have others, but they seem rather scarce. He seems not to have recorded Ludus Tonalis, which is certainly surprising. Could his Das Marienleben with Roxolana Roslak be a Greatest Recording Ever?
In many ways he was every bit as good as Stravinsky and Bartók.
His piano concerto for the left hand, 'Klaviermusik mit Orchester', was only made available for performance at the beginning of this century but it was completed in 1923, one year before Stravinsky's Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments and three years before Bartók's Piano Concerto no.1. It not only predates them but, had it been performed when it was due, it might even have made the other works, especially Bartók's, sound somewhat derivative.
I've often wondered if Bartók might have had access to the score since passages in his work seem reminiscent of the work by Hindemith. I'm sure it's coincidental and a result of the Zeitgeist but it's interesting to hear them back to back. Hindemith's piece does not exclude the strings as Stravinsky's and also Bartok's in the first movement but the wind and percussion are very much to the fore. It also sets 'primitivist' ideas in a neoclassical formal setting. The themes based on violently repeated notes on the piano with replies from the orchestra are noticeably present in both Bartók's and Hindemith's concertos.
Thank you for remembering Hindemith once again.
Whatever happened to Harrison Birtwistle?
Dave, really appreciate your advocacy for Hindemith for both personal history and aesthetic reasons. I’m clearing out a lot of music right now but have kept all of his. The MDG set of all those sonatas needs re-released! However, the great hive mind of clever classical listening has been operating and doesn’t listen to much Hindemith. There’s so much other wonderful music from the 20s through 50s, and it’s not most of it atonal at all (we’re talking Bartok, Stravinsky, Milhaud, Ravel, Walton,Britten, etc etc etc - so the ‘not listening’ to Hindemith has pretty much nothing to do with atonality and hypermodernism). The question has to be looked at at both ends - not just why are we not doing so much Hindemith now, but why on earth did he acquire the reputation he did at one point? I really find some of his work exciting, but other things, well, I’m not surprised they didn’t have sustaining power, sorry.
I agree. I never said everything was equally wonderful, but a lot of it is, and surely enough to sustain his reputation as a major creative voice who's worth listening to.