Paul Hindemith Symphony in E Flat London Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult, Conductor
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Paul Hindemith Symphony in E flat London Philharmonic Orchestra / Sir Adrian Boult, Conductor 1 I. Sehr lebhaft 05:08 2 II. Sehr langsam 09:22 3 III. Scherzo - Lebhaft 06:16 4 IV. Mäßig schnelle Halbe 09:00 HINDEMITH: Paul Hindemith (b. Hanau, Germany, techniques. Bearing in mind the points made Symphony in E-Flat (1940) 1895) occupies a place with Stravinsky, above, it is not surprising that his eventual Sir Adrian Boult conducting the Schoenberg, Bartok as one of the giants of course as a composer should have been in London Philharmonic Orchestra creative music during the first half of the 20th the direction of synthesis rather than totally century. But Hindemith was never content new paths – a synthesis that would seem to with being a composer per se, for his place as aim at reconciling the great German classic a theorist and teacher (The Craft of Musical tradition represented by Bach and Brahms Composition – 1937-39) and as commentator with the techniques of 20th century compo- on music in modern life (A Composer’s World sition. Thus we find in Hindemith’s mature – 1952) is extraordinarily high. music the motoric and polyphonic elements of Bach, the chromatic and modal harmonic Furthermore, in his catalog of nearly five tendencies of Wagner and Brahms, the hundred published works, we must make sharply etched linearity espoused by the a careful distinction between the works contemporary classicists since the 1920’s. of the “composer-craftsman” and those of As early as 1921, in his fine Quartet No. 3, the profound creative artist; for much of Op. 22, we find this trend toward synthesis Hindemith’s work has been written for spe- beginning to take shape. cific teaching or instrumental demonstration purposes. Lastly, we must remember that It is interesting to note, however, that Hindemith in his younger days was not only Hindemith attempted nothing for large-scale a viola virtuoso of major international stand- symphony orchestra until the Concerto for ing – he gave the world premiere of William Orchestra of 1925, and then another seven Walton’s superb Viola Concerto – but also he years was to lapse before he tried again with could play acceptably any instrument in the the Philharmonic Concerto of 1932 (for orchestra; and he expected his students to be Furtwangler and the Berlin Philharmonic in able to do likewise! celebration of the latter’s 50th anniversary). Hindemith’s early career is closely knit with The year 1934 was to mark Hindemith’s the grim days of inflation and poverty in truly coming into his own as an orchestral Germany after World War I, and music such master – with the “symphony” extracted as the Kleine Kammermusik for woodwind from his opera Mathis der Maler. Another quintet and the satirical opera Neues vom stage work, the ballet St. Francis was to give Tage (“News of the Day”) are counterparts birth to Nobilissima Visione – this too a genu- to the acid line drawings of George Grosz ine masterpiece. Both of these could well which were to earn the bitter hatred of the be described as 20th century tonal counter- Nazis in years to come. parts of the work of the great German art- ists Albrecht Dürer and Matthias Grünewald Hindemith during these years developed a (indeed it was on the latter’s life that command not only of every medium of musi- Hindemith based his Mathis der Maler). cal performance, but also of every technique from the most rigid scholastic classicism to the most modern “atonal” and “poly tonal” By 1940 it had become impossible for opening horn fanfare. In general, the move- Hindemith to work in Germany; and, having ment is direct and powerful in both musical been in Turkey and Switzerland, he finally construction and expressive content. decided to accept an appointment to the School of Music at Yale University. Shortly The slow movement – Sehr langsam – is in before this he had produced a powerful – and essence a stern yet deeply moving dirge, in unaccountably neglected – Violin Concerto; which polyphonic procedures – canon and but during his American years (1940-53), fugato – add superbly to the expressive effect a host of splendid works in all forms came of the whole. from his pen, including even an impressive choral-orchestral setting of Walt Whitman’s There follows a scherzo (Lebhaft) of “danse When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d, macabre” character – one calls to mind the composed in 1946 as a Requiem for those Holbein woodcuts in this connection. Some fallen in World War II. It was in 1953 that of the tone coloration, in wood winds and Hindemith decided to return to Europe, percussion especially, suggest Mahler; but where he took up residence in Switzerland. the forward motion and density of texture are pure Hindemith. The central trio section The Symphony in E-flat was one of the first could be called a stylized siciliano in the best and most potent fruits of Hindemith’s stay in neo-Bach manner. the United States. It was completed at New Haven on December 15, 1940 and was given The finale – Mässig schnelle halbe – its premiere by the Minneapolis Sympbony (Moderately fast half-notes) combines in Orchestra, Dimitri Mitropoulos conducting, its expressive (but not musical) content on November 21 of the following year. aspects of all three preceding movements – the motoric quality of the first, the somber This music lacks the light touch of the gay element of the second (the stem march epi- Weber Metamorphoses of 1943. It is somber sode) and the dance element of the third music, thickly scoreo and reveals in its expres- (the charming 3/2 “intermezzo” for winds). sive content more than a little of the atmos- The recapitulation following this is full- phere that dominated the world of that time blown and elaborate in both dynamics and – when the Nazis had thundered through polyphonic density. The end is triumphant the Low Countries and beaten France to her and defiant. knees. No wonder this Symphony speaks with the accent of the march, the dirge, and Original Liner Notes by DAVID HALL the “danse macabre!” There are four movements. The first - Sehr lebhaft (Very vigorous) - begins with a per- emptory horn fanfare which generates a train of powerfully motoric thematic mate- rial. 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