Burn Approved Final Document (With JB Edits)

The German Romantic Style of Paul Hindemith's Piano Sonata no. 1 "Der Main"

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Authors Burn, Douglas-Jayd

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THE GERMAN ROMANTIC STYLE OF PAUL HINDEMITH’S

PIANO SONATA NO. 1 “DER MAIN”

Douglas-Jayd Burn

______

A Document Submitted to the Faculty of the

FRED FOX SCHOOL OF MUSIC

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Degree of

DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS

In the Graduate College

THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

2018

STATEMENT BY AUTHOR

This document has been submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library.

Brief quotations from this document are allowable without special permission, provided that an accurate acknowledgement of the source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder.

SIGNED: Douglas-Jayd Burn

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A document like this takes a village to prepare and it is not possible to thank everyone who has been a part of the process, but I would like to express my thanks to the following:

I am sincerely grateful to my major professor Dr. John Milbauer. Throughout my doctoral studies, he has always inspired and guided me to a higher level of understanding and making music.

I am also grateful to Dr. Lisa Zdechlik who has forever enhanced the way that I understand what it means to teach others as well as myself. Her guidance and support through the writing process of this document has been extensive and always pedagogical.

A very special thanks to the rest of my committee for helping shape me as a pianist, conductor, and scholar: Professor Tannis Gibson, Dr. Thomas Cockrell, and Dr. Matthew Mugmon.

This document would not have been possible without the help of Joshua Nichols who typeset most of the incipits and saved me countless hours as well as my sanity.

Many thanks to Ms. Julie Johnson at the University of Arizona Poetry Center for her help in finding the anthologies of Hölderlin’s poetry.

Many thanks to Dr. Heinz-Jürgen Winkler and the Hindemith Foundation for their gracious help with my research and for their permission to use the front page of the autograph copy of Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main.”

I have been fortunate to have friends and colleagues that have been pillars and beacons in my life and my musical studies, and I am so appreciative for the lessons I have learned from them.

Finally, it is to my parents I give the greatest thanks. They have been my greatest supporters, my greatest teachers, and my greatest inspiration. I cannot express enough thanks for all they have done to encourage and foster my music and my person, all with love.

DEDICATION

For my Mother and Father.

"Time judges fairly and without envy, and I put my trust in it and in my good intentions."

~Paul Hindemith

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES ...... 7

LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES ...... 8

ABSTRACT ...... 11

INTRODUCTION ...... 12 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO PAUL HINDEMITH AND THE PIANO WORKS ...... 13

1.1 Overview of Primary Contributions to Piano Literature ...... 13

1.2 Poetic Context: Social/Artistic Milieu ...... 20

CHAPTER 2: NEO-CLASSICISM AND HINDEMITH’S PIANO SONATAS ...... 24

2.1. Defining Attributes of Neo-Classicism ...... 24

2.2. Form and Texture: Piano Sonata no. 2 ...... 25

2.3. Form and Texture: Piano Sonata no. 3 ...... 28 CHAPTER 3: SIGNIFICANT TRAITS OF GERMAN ROMANTICISM IN PIANO COMPOSITION ...... 32

3.1 Literary Inspiration ...... 33

3.2 Travel and Landscape as Inspiration ...... 37

3.3 Revolution: Deviation from Conventional Form...... 39

CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS OF PIANO SONATA NO. 1 “DER MAIN”...... 43

4.1 German Romantic Traits Relative to Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” ...... 43

4.2 Other Significant Thematic Connections ...... 49

4.3 Parallels: Brahms’ Piano Sonata in F minor, op. 5 ...... 54

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION...... 55

APPENDIX: FRIEDRICH HÖLDERLIN’S “DER MAIN” ...... 58

REFERENCES ...... 61 7

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Suite 1922, fifth movement, Direction for Use!! “Direction for Use. Pay no attention to what you’ve learnt at piano lessons. Don’t spend a long time considering whether you should play D sharp with the fourth or the sixth finger. Play this piece wildly, but with very strict rhythm. Regard the piano here as an interesting form of percussion and act accordingly.” ...... 15 Figure 2. Paul Hindemith’s Series 1, the base of Ludus Tonalis tonal sequence for fugue key centers...... 16 Figure 3. Front Page Autograph score of Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” with Hindemith’s subtitle...... 23 Figure 4. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 2, Formal Structure...... 26

Figure 5. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 3, Formal Structure...... 29

LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES

Musical Example 1. Paul Hindemith, Suite 1922, second movement, mm. 78–80...... 14 Musical Example 2. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” third movement, mm. 308–312...... 14 Musical Example 3. Paul Hindemith, Suite 1922, fifth movement, mm. 1-4...... 15 Musical Example 4. Paul Hindemith, Ludus Tonalis, Praeludium, mm. 1–4. Example of improvisatory figures...... 17 Musical Example 5. Paul Hindemith, Ludus Tonalis, Praeludium, mm. 15–17. Example of lyrical contrapuntal writing...... 17 Musical Example 6. Paul Hindemith, Ludus Tonalis, Postludium, mm.16–19...... 18 Musical Example 7. Paul Hindemith, Ludus Tonalis, Postludium, mm. 36–37...... 18 Musical Example 8. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 2, first movement, mm. 1–4...... 19 Musical Example 9. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Piano Sonata K. 283, first movement, mm. 1–4...... 28 Musical Example 10. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 2, first movement, mm. 1–4. ... 28 Musical Example 11. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 3, first movement, mm. 64–69.31 Musical Example 12. Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata in A major, op. 101, first movement, mm. 48–50...... 31 Musical Example 13. Franz Liszt, Etude d’exécution transcendente IV. Mazeppa, mm. 7– 10...... 34 Musical Example 14. Franz Liszt, Etude d’exécution transcendente IV. Mazeppa, mm. 63–66...... 35 Musical Example 15. Franz Liszt, Etude d’exécution transcendente IV. Mazeppa, mm. 200–203 and Hugo quote...... 35 Musical Example 16. Johannes Brahms, Ballade, op. 10 no. 1 “Edward,” reference to poem above mm. 1–4...... 36 Musical Example 17. Robert Schumann, Phantasie in C major, op.17, Motto and mm. 1– 3...... 37 Musical Example 18. Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata in A major, op. 101, first movement, mm. 1–4...... 40 Musical Example 19. Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata in A major, op. 101, third movement, mm. 1–5...... 40 9

Musical Example 20. Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata in A major, op. 101, third movement, mm. 21–25...... 40 Musical Example 21. Johannes Brahms, Piano Sonata in F minor, op. 5, second movement, Sternau poem and mm. 1–5...... 42 Musical Example 22. Johannes Brahms, Piano Sonata in F minor, op. 5, fourth movement, mm. 1–4...... 42 Musical Example 23. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” first movement, mm. 1–4...... 46 Musical Example 24. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” fourth movement, mm. 24–27...... 46 Musical Example 25. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” first movement, mm. 23–24...... 47 Musical Example 26. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” fourth movement, mm. 1–4...... 47 Musical Example 27. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” first movement, mm. 1–4...... 48 Musical Example 28. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” third movement, mm. 61–65...... 48 Musical Example 29. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” third movement, mm. 287–291...... 49 Musical Example 30. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” fourth movement, mm. 1–4...... 49 Musical Example 31. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” third movement, mm. 147–150...... 50 Musical Example 32. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” first movement, mm. 1–2...... 50 Musical Example 33. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” third movement, mm. 212–216...... 51 Musical Example 34. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” second movement, mm. 33–34...... 52 Musical Example 35. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” second movement, mm. 45–46...... 52 Musical Example 36. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” second movement, mm. 54–59...... 52 10

Musical Example 37. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” second movement, mm. 71–74...... 53

ABSTRACT

Paul Hindemith (1896–1963) composed extensively for the piano throughout his life. His compositional style varied throughout his career and ranges from satirical to formulaic in function. Despite the diverse scope of compositional style, he is primarily associated with the traits of Neo-Classicism. However, this association is only applicable to a portion of Hindemith’s oeuvre and has resulted in an insufficient categorization of his music. The three piano sonatas composed in 1936 are perhaps the greatest examples of Hindemith’s stylistic eclecticism within the piano repertoire due to the unique approach to the form, texture, and genre of each sonata. Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” is the most stylistically unusual and exhibits qualities associated with German

Romanticism: poetic inspiration, themes of travel and landscape, and deviation from conventional form.

This document provides a novel stylistic interpretation of Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der

Main” that surveys the inspirations and traits that informed Paul Hindemith’s compositional process. The first chapter provides an overview some of the most significant piano works by Hindemith. The second chapter defines the traits of Neo-

Classical composition and how they manifest in Hindemith’s Piano Sonata no. 2 and

Piano Sonata no. 3. The third chapter examines the traits of German Romanticism as they appear in the piano literature, and the fourth chapter examines the German Romantic traits within Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main.” By examining the compositional approach and relationship with Piano Sonata no. 2 and Piano Sonata no. 3, it will be demonstrated that Hindemith is not solely a Neo-Classical composer, but an eclectic one who draws from many styles including German Romanticism. 12

INTRODUCTION

German composer Paul Hindemith’s (1895-1963) extensive compositional output contributes to most primary genres within Western art. His music is primarily categorized as Neo-Classical, yet Hindemith’s writing style does not always feature traits of Neo-

Classicism. The limited analyses of Hindemith’s compositional style may contribute to mixed responses from audiences and performers alike.

This study focuses on Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” and its relationship to the other piano sonatas written in the same year. The three piano sonatas are often grouped stylistically as Neo-Classical even though each work was composed with different approaches to elements such as form, texture, and genre. A focused examination of the compositional approach to Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” suggests that German

Romanticism plays a greater role than Neo-Classicism in contributing to the style.

This study also provides an alternative interpretation of Hindemith’s Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” by focusing on the elements of German Romanticism that contribute to the composition’s structure and style: deviation from conventional form, poetic inspiration, and the theme of travel. A work that is Neo-Classical exhibits specific qualities that aim to reject Romanticism through the revival of compositional techniques and forms of composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.1 This study, however, focuses on the compositional techniques and form of Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” that are clearly Romantic in inspiration.

1 Arnold Whittall, “Neo-Classicism,” Oxford Music Online. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy4.library.arizona.edu/subscriber/article/grove /music/19723 (accessed December, 7 2017). 13

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO PAUL HINDEMITH AND THE PIANO WORKS

1.1 Overview of Primary Contributions to Piano Literature

Paul Hindemith composed music that featured the piano in a variety of settings and roles from chamber music to concerto soloist, but it is his contributions to solo piano repertoire that demonstrate his stylistic range most clearly. Even though his solo piano repertoire is extensive, perhaps the most definitive examples of Hindemith’s stylistic diversity are the Suite 1922, the three piano sonatas composed in 1936, and Ludus

Tonalis (1942). Each piece was composed with a different artistic goal and function.

Suite 1922

The end of World War I and the rise of jazz as a musical style combined with satirical experimentation resulted in the Suite 1922, a fusion of a highly dissonant harmonic language with ragtime rhythmic figures in the form of a modified Baroque suite. Hindemith’s harmonic language is dissonant in general, but the dissonance in Suite

1922 creates parody, unlike the piano sonatas which draw from a select tonality and use dissonance as an expressive device (Musical Examples 1 and 2).

Musical Example 1. Paul Hindemith, Suite 1922, second movement, mm. 78–80.

Musical Example 2. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” third movement, mm. 308–312.

Three of the movement’s title refers to a popularized dance form of the 20th-century:

Marsch, Shimmy, Ragtime. Hindemith’s satire is most evident in the instructions for the final movement, Ragtime (Figure 1 and Musical Example 3).

Musical Example 3. Paul Hindemith, Suite 1922, fifth movement, mm. 1-4.

Ludus Tonalis

Ludus Tonalis was composed after Hindemith had moved to the United States and features an extremely precise and formulaic approach to composition based on

Hindemith’s own tonal system. The use of English expressive markings is distinct from any of the previously mentioned keyboard works. Hindemith’s meticulous nature in structuring the tonal and formal plan for Ludus Tonalis is also unique in comparison with any previous compositional process. The twelve fugues, one for each chromatic pitch, are

2 Ian Kemp, Hindemith (New York, Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1970), 11.

organized by the tonic order within Hindemith’s Series 1, each separated by an interlude with the exception of the first (Figure 2).3

Figure 2. Paul Hindemith’s Series 1, the base of Ludus Tonalis tonal sequence for fugue key centers.

Unlike Bach’s various preludes and fugues, the relationship of each interlude to the fugues is primarily modulatory and prepares the character of the next fugue. Neumeyer states that the Praeludium and Postludium are placed as the opening and closing movement and provide “the dramatic prologue and epilogue” for the hour-long work.4

Both the Praeludium and Postludium are structured like Baroque toccatas and feature contrasting sections of improvisatory figures and lyrical contrapuntal writing (Music

Examples 4, 5, 6, and 7).

3 In The Craft of Musical Composition, Hindemith forms Series 1 by ordering the pitches according to the harmonic relationship to a fundamental note from strongest to weakest. The tonal center of each fugue in Ludus Tonalis is determined by the pitch order of Series 1 with C as the fundamental.

4 David Neumeyer, The Music of Paul Hindemith (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1986), 226.

Musical Example 4. Paul Hindemith, Ludus Tonalis, Praeludium, mm. 1–4. Example of improvisatory figures.

Musical Example 5. Paul Hindemith, Ludus Tonalis, Praeludium, mm. 15–17. Example of lyrical contrapuntal writing.

Musical Example 6. Paul Hindemith, Ludus Tonalis, Postludium, mm.16–19.

Musical Example 7. Paul Hindemith, Ludus Tonalis, Postludium, mm. 36–37.

The Piano Sonatas (1936)

Each of the three piano sonatas of 1936 features a unique approach to texture and form that displays compositional diversity within the timeframe of a single year. Piano

Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” features dense and polyphonic textures and is structured in five movements featuring cyclic elements. Piano Sonata no. 2 is significantly shorter, composed as “the lighter counterpart to the rather weighty first.”5 The condensed and

5 Paul Hindemith, Selected Letters of Paul Hindemith, ed. and trans. Geoffrey Skelton (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1995), 93. 19

traditional formal structures are consistent with the Neo-Classical style Hindemith is known for. The texture throughout the sonata is predominantly homophonic and definitively thinner than Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” perhaps best exemplified in the opening that contains an arpeggiated accompaniment (Musical Example 8).

Musical Example 8. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 2, first movement, mm. 1–4.

Despite the differences in compositional process for the Suite 1922, Ludus

Tonalis, and the three piano sonatas, each work contains traits that make Hindemith’s compositional style identifiable as his own. The study by Franz Willms in 1925 states that a supreme focus on melody results in “functionless harmony” that maintains a sense of logic via “harmonic pillars” which allow Hindemith’s music to maintain tonal centers.6

Hindemith’s explanation that “[m]usic, as long as it exists, will always take its departure from the major triad and return to it…” is perhaps one of the most thorough descriptions of his approach to melody and harmony.7 Textural density varies throughout Hindemith’s piano compositions ranging from thick polyphony to monophony.

6 David Neumeyer, The Music of Paul Hindemith (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1986), 13–14.

7 Paul Hindemith, The Craft of Musical Composition, trans. Arthur Mendel (London: Schott & Co., Ltd., 1942), 22.

1.2 Poetic Context: Social/Artistic Milieu

Paul Hindemith maintained a well-established career as a composer in 1936 despite censorship from the Nazi party. The controversies surrounding Hindemith’s previous compositions and what the Nazi party deemed anti-German had impacted what could be published or performed, but this did not slow his compositional output. In addition to the three piano sonatas, he also wrote his viola concert piece Trauermusik

(Music of Mourning) and the Sonata for Flute and Piano. Letters indicate that much of his time was spent attempting to improve his political standing in between performances, composition, and traveling.

Hindemith’s life and music were shaped by conflicts with the Nazi party.

Regarding the conception of Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” perhaps the most influential of these conflicts is centered around Wilhelm Fürtwangler’s article “Der Fall Hindemith

(The Hindemith Case).”8 The scandal of this article resulted in press that deemed

Hindemith un-German by the Nazis. One speech stated that “[p]urely German his blood may be, but this only provides drastic confirmation of how deeply the Jewish intellectual infection has eaten into the body of our own people.”9 The extreme political pressure is the likely cause for Hindemith’s application for a leave of absence from the Hochschule in Berlin that began at the end of 1934. During this leave of absence, he withdrew to the

8 The Hindemith Case was Fürtwangler’s attempt to counter the efforts made by members of the Nazi party to denounce Hindemith’s music unfairly. The article not only escalated Hindemith’s conflicts with the Nazis, but it eventually led to Fürtwangler’s resignation from multiple posts.

9 Geoffrey Skelton, Paul Hindemith: The Man Behind the Music (London: Victor Gollancz LTD, 1975), 122–123.

Black Forest in Southwestern Germany and completed his orchestration of Mathis de

Maler (1934).

In April, 1935, Hindemith began traveling between Ankara and Berlin after accepting an employment invitation from the Turkish Ministry of Education to be a consultant during the foundation of a music school. It was during his time in Ankara in

1936 that he began composing Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main.” No official record states when Hindemith began his compositional process, but his letter to Willy Strecker on

April 10, 1936 mentions “a promised piano sonata.”10 This can be confirmed as Piano

Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” by the next letter sent to Strecker. On June 29, 1936, Paul

Hindemith announced the sonata’s completion:

Today I have at last completed the much-mentioned piano sonata. I have taken a great deal of trouble over this piece and hope it will make a good impression. The two movements missing until now should also satisfy our severe Gieseking. Leaving aside the modifications he will make in any case (there’s no escaping that with him unless your name is Josef Marx or Castelnuovo), he should be getting his money’s worth.11

Hindemith’s “[H]ope [Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main”] will make a good impression” was short lived. Walter Gieseking—the pianist who was to premiere Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der

Main”—was told to remove the piece from his concert after “the authorities had been disturbed by… ‘demonstrative’ applause…” that resulted from a performance of

10 Paul Hindemith, Selected Letters of Paul Hindemith, ed. and trans. Geoffrey Skelton (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1995), 92.

11 Ibid., 92. Hindemith’s mention of the missing movements references his replacement of the original second movement, Variations (1936) which now exists as a separate piece. It is unclear which other movement was missing at this time.

Hindemith’s Sonata in E for Violin and Piano (1935).12 There is no recorded premiere date for Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” and the bans on Hindemith’s music during that time make it unlikely that it would have been programmed in Germany until years later.

A unique attribute of Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” is Hindemith’s application of the poem “Der Main (The Main)” by Friedrich Hölderlin (1770–1843).13 The title “Der

Main” translates directly to “The Main” and refers to the River Main. The subtitle on the autograph copy of Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main”—written in Hindemith’s own hand— states: “Das Gedicht „Der Main“ von Friedrich Hölderlin gab die Anregung zur

Komposition dieser Sonate.” This confirms that Hindemith was inspired by the poem’s content (Figure 3).14

12 Geoffrey Skelton, Paul Hindemith: The Man Behind the Music (London: Victor Gollancz LTD, 1975), 134–135.

13 The full poem and translation by Nick Hoff are available in this document’s Appendix.

14 Translation: “The poem ‘The Main’ by Friedrich Hölderlin gave the impulse to compose this sonata.”

Figure 3. Front Page Autograph score of Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” with Hindemith’s subtitle.15

The poem’s themes of travel, nostalgia, and hope that are centered around a “homeless singer” likely resonated very strongly with Hindemith during the composition of this sonata due to what was happening in his life at that time.16

15 Image courtesy of Hindemith Foundation, Blonay, Switzerland.

16 Friedrich Hölderlin, Odes and Elegies, trans. Nick Hoff (Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press, 2008), 63.

CHAPTER 2: NEO-CLASSICISM AND HINDEMITH’S PIANO SONATAS

2.1. Defining Attributes of Neo-Classicism

Most scholarly research categorizes Paul Hindemith as a Neo-Classical composer.

Before presenting a new interpretation of Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” the defining features of Neo-Classicism will be examined in the context of the three piano sonatas.

The Neo-Classical movement encompasses an extraordinarily diverse range of compositional techniques as demonstrated in the works of Stravinsky, Ravel, Prokofiev, and Hindemith, among others. According to Arnold Whittall, the traits associated with

Neo-Classical writing range from historical awareness of conventions and forms to parody; both were often used as a rejection or suppression of expression.17 This does not mean the music is expressionless, but rather that it is composed objectively with “an emphasis on clarity of line, texture, and form” rather than drawing inspiration from the composer’s personal feelings.18 Of the attributes that comprise Neo-Classicism, perhaps the most salient factors of this style are formal and textural outlines.

17 Arnold Whittall, “Neo-classicism,” Oxford Music Online. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy4.library.arizona.edu/subscriber/article/grove /music/19723. (accessed November 28, 2017).

18 Ian Kemp, Hindemith (New York, Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1970), 15.

2.2. Form and Texture: Piano Sonata no. 2

In Piano Sonata no. 2, the form could be compared with an early Beethoven sonata with a reordering of the second and third movements: “…[T]he first a sonata design, the second a scherzo and trio (with an unusually long reprise), and the third a slow introduction and nine-part rondo…” (Figure 4)19

19 David Neumeyer, The Music of Paul Hindemith (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1986), 207.

Figure 4. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 2, Formal Structure.

Movement Form Incipit

I. Sonata Allegro

II. Scherzo and Trio

III. Introduction

III. Rondo

Hindemith wrote to Willy Strecker that his Piano Sonata no. 2 is the “lighter counterpart to the rather weighty first.”20 Returning to a three-movement structure, the average

20 Paul Hindemith, Selected Letters of Paul Hindemith. Edited and translated by Geoffrey Skelton (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1995), 93. It’s worthy of note that Hindemith mentions that he wrote Piano Sonata no. 2 “just for practice.” 27

performance time of Piano Sonata no. 2 lasts around eleven minutes total, approximately fifteen minutes shorter than its predecessor. Hindemith’s attention to the balance of

18th-century formal structures can be noted in the proportions of the first movement’s exposition, development, and recapitulation. In his analysis, David Neumeyer writes that the first movement “blends the sonata plan with a proportional and symmetrical structure using primary and secondary golden section divisions.”21 The texture throughout is significantly thinner than Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” and most of the composition is homophonic. The patterns and accompaniments throughout Piano Sonata no. 2 are inspired by the keyboard sonatas of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. For example, the sonata’s opening register and texture resembles to Mozart’s Piano Sonata, K. 283

(Musical Examples 9 and Musical Example 10).

21 David Neumeyer, The Music of Paul Hindemith (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1986), 208.

Musical Example 9. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Piano Sonata K. 283, first movement, mm. 1–4.

Musical Example 10. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 2, first movement, mm. 1–4.

2.3. Form and Texture: Piano Sonata no. 3

Piano Sonata no. 3, perhaps the most performed of the three piano sonatas, is definitively Neo-Classical through its tonal scheme and formal outline which is “quite reserved” and “follows Viennese Classical models.”22 The analysis by Viscount Francis

Thurston continuously notes the parallels to 18th-century formal conventions in each movement. The following table displays the form according to Thurston’s research

(Figure 5).

22 Viscount Francis Thurston, "Hindemith’s Third Piano Sonata: A New Assessment" (DMA diss., Ohio State University, 1984), 6, http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy1.library. arizona.edu/docview/303318651?accountid=8360. 29

Figure 5. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 3, Formal Structure.

Movement Form Incipit

Modified I. Sonata Allegro

(Arch)

Scherzo and II. Trio

Modified

Ternary

Sonata Rondo III.

Fugue IV.

Thurston’s analysis of Piano Sonata no. 3 does not offer any information about texture as a defining trait of the composition’s Neo-Classicism, but it does draws attention to the similarities in rhythmic content of Hindemith’s first movement to that of Beethoven

Piano Sonata in A major, op. 101. Unlike Piano Sonata no. 2, the active polyphonic 30

writing is not confined to voice leading within accompaniment patterns, resulting in more elaborate and denser textures. Hindemith also implements a greater variety of pianistic techniques—like broken octaves—that closely resemble Beethoven’s late piano works, like Piano Sonata in A major, op. 101 (Musical Examples 11 and 12).23

23 For his analyses, Thurston closely examines thematic content. He makes a significant comparison between the rhythmic figures of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata op. 101 in A major. There is no analysis of the texture as a stylistic attribute, but Thurston notes that Hindemith’s texture is almost identical to Beethoven’s in the same example. It’s also worth observing the similarities in form between Piano Sonata no. 3 and Beethoven’s Piano Sonata op. 106 in B-flat major and their shared tonality. 31

Musical Example 11. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 3, first movement, mm. 64–69.

Musical Example 12. Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata in A major, op. 101, first movement, mm. 48–50.

CHAPTER 3: SIGNIFICANT TRAITS OF GERMAN ROMANTICISM IN PIANO

COMPOSITION

The term Romanticism describes an artistic movement that is “usually identified with either the first half or the whole of the 19th-century.”24 The term can also describe traits associated with Romanticism that exist within a composition. The application of prefixes to music written outside of the 19th-century—such as Neo-Romanticism or Post-

Romanticism—indicates that the traits are more definitive of style rather than year of composition. Some of the elements and themes at the core of Romanticism include revolution, individuality, nature, youth, individuality, death, nationalism, travel, literary inspiration, and infinite longing. This movement was active across Europe, but a majority of influence originates from German literature at the end of the 18th-century and can be considered German Romantic. Due to Hindemith’s German nationality, this study will focus on German Romantic traits that exist within Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main.” These traits are literary inspiration, travel, and revolution represented through deviation from conventional form.

24 Jim Samson, “Romanticism,” Oxford Music Online (January 2001), accessed March 6, 2018, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo- 9781561592630-e-0000023751.

3.1 Literary Inspiration

Literary sources were a constant inspiration for German Romantic composers and ranged in form and length from quotations to poems, or epics. The application of these sources within the piano repertoire was as diverse as the sources themselves. Music driven by narrative—like Etude d’exécution transcendente IV. Mazeppa by Franz Liszt

(1811–1886)—is programmatic in approach, reflecting the emotional tones and characters of the piece through the use of texture and form. Inspired by the poem

Mazeppa by Victor Hugo (1802–1875), the etude’s emotional tone varies as it moves between minor to major key areas and into different textures. In mm. 7–10, the chromatic sixteenth-notes—each played using only the second and fourth fingers of each hand— portray the bucking and galloping of the stallion with Mazeppa tied to its back. The same theme appears in mm. 63–66, this time in B-flat major with arpeggiated thirds that portray the stallion wading through a stream and healing Mazeppa’s wounds (Musical

Examples 13 and 14).

Musical Example 13. Franz Liszt, Etude d’exécution transcendente IV. Mazeppa, mm. 7– 10.

Musical Example 14. Franz Liszt, Etude d’exécution transcendente IV. Mazeppa, mm. 63–66.

Another example of literary inspiration occurs at the end of the etude where Liszt directly includes a quote from the last verse of Hugo’s poem, one that accents the end of the musical narrative (Musical Example 15).

Musical Example 15. Franz Liszt, Etude d’exécution transcendente IV. Mazeppa, mm. 200–203 and Hugo quote.

While literary inspiration shaped form and texture in much 19th-century repertoire, sometimes the source only provided the emotional setting for the composition.

Instead of a direct narrative, pieces like Ballade, op. 10 No. 1 “Edward” by Johannes 36

Brahms (1833–1897) are given a subtitle or written comment by the composer to indicate

“the source of the inspiration” (Music Example 16).25

Musical Example 16. Johannes Brahms, Ballade, op. 10 no. 1 “Edward,” reference to poem above mm. 1–4.

Composers also used literary sources directly within the score. In his Phantasie in

C major, op. 17, Robert Schumann (1810–1856) prefaces the first movement with text

(Musical Example 17).

Durch alle Töne tönet Im bunten Erdentraum Ein leiser Ton gezogen Für den der Heimlich lauschet.

Through all the sounds that sound In the many-colored dream of earth A soft sound comes forth For the one who listens in secret.

25 Alfred Einstein, Music in the Romantic Era (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1947), 225. 37

Musical Example 17. Robert Schumann, Phantasie in C major, op.17, Motto and mm. 1– 3.

In addition to preparing the emotional tone of Schumann’s music, the quote alludes to a theme within the first movement. According to Charles Rosen, “Schumann alerts his public to the presence of a secret by the epigraph to the Phantasie published in the first edition.”26 The secret that Rosen is referring to is Schumann’s quote of

Beethoven’s final lied from his song cycle An die ferne Geliebte, op. 98 (1816).

3.2 Travel and Landscape as Inspiration

The themes of travel and landscape within a composition are often connected to the music through a poetic context. Liszt directly cites his sources of inspiration within the titles of his sets Années de Pèlerinage (Years of Travel) and each movement within.

Bora Lee notes that Vallée d’Obermann (Obermann’s Valley), inspired by the novel

26 Charles Rosen, The Romantic Generation (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1995), 101.

Obermann (1804) by Étienne Pivert de Sénacour (1770–1846) and the poem Childe

Harold’s Pilgrimage (1812) by Lord Byron (1788–1824), “reflects each work’s emotional quality.”27 It is important to note how Liszt’s choice of poetry was personal and that his representation of the hero within the music is a representation of himself and his own journey. Other repertoire expresses travel by conveying the emotional tolls of travel through the title itself like Le mal du pays (Homesickness) which has no poem or quotation that prefaces the music. Schumann’s Waldszenen (Forest Scenes), op. 89 is structured around the observations of a traveler, and each movement’s title produces an emotional quality that is reflected through Schumann’s composition.

27 Bora Lee, "Franz Liszt's “Vallée d'Obermann” from the “Années De Pèlerinage, Première Année, Suisse”: A Poetic Performance Guide" (DMA diss., University of Cincinnati, 2013), 17, accessed March 29, 2018, http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest- com.ezproxy4.library.arizona.edu/docview/1466302804?accountid=8360. 39

3.3 Revolution: Deviation from Conventional Form

The late piano sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven marked a departure from what was considered conventional regarding form at the start of the 19th-century. Beethoven had already challenged and experimented with the traditional three- to four-movement structure in works such as Piano Sonata in E-flat major, op. 27/1 in which he introduced the subtitle Quasi una Fantasia, linking the movements through attaca markings and even returning to thematic material from a previous section.

This thematic continuity is expanded across movements in Beethoven’s Piano

Sonata in A major op. 101 when the opening theme reappears in the third movement before the finale begins. This return to the sonata’s opening character is meant to provide unity between the movements, one that could be viewed as allegoric to a journey within the blurred form. The character of the theme, perhaps best defined by the accompanying tempo marking Etwas lebhaft und mit innigsten Empfindung (Somewhat lively and with innermost feeling), contrasts with the character that begins the third movement: Langsam und sehnsuchtsvoll (Slowly and longingly) (Musical Examples 18, 19, and 20).

Musical Example 18. Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata in A major, op. 101, first movement, mm. 1–4.

Musical Example 19. Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata in A major, op. 101, third movement, mm. 1–5.

Musical Example 20. Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata in A major, op. 101, third movement, mm. 21–25.

The epic nature of thematic continuity within the sonata genre is exemplified in

Liszt’s Piano Sonata in B minor, S. 178 through “the tendency of all the themes to turn 41

into one another.”28 The single movement sonata is structured with four sections that each represent a movement from a conventional four-movement structure. Liszt creates unity within the form by using the same thematic material, developing the music’s character and creating contrast through use of rhythmic figures and texture. The characters clearly define a traditional four-movement sonata within a single movement structure.

In Piano Sonata in F minor, op. 5, Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) uses thematic material to create “various connections, relationships and linkages embracing all the movements.”29 The most identifiable of these connections is between the second and the fourth movements which use the same theme, written in major for the second movement and written in minor for the fourth (Musical Examples 21 and 22).

28 Charles Rosen, The Romantic Generation (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1995), 482.

29 Cha-Lin Liu, “Performance Practice Issues in Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor Op. 5 by Johannes Brahms” (DMA Diss., University of California, Los Angeles, 2007), 38, accessed April 2, 2018, http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=https://search- proquest-com.ezproxy2.library.arizona.edu/docview/304877985?accountid=8360. 42

Musical Example 21. Johannes Brahms, Piano Sonata in F minor, op. 5, second movement, Sternau poem and mm. 1–5.

Musical Example 22. Johannes Brahms, Piano Sonata in F minor, op. 5, fourth movement, mm. 1–4.

Brahms also creates a continuous narrative between the two movements through the use of poetry in the second movement and the title indication of the fourth movement. The fourth movement—titled Intermezzo—is labeled Rückblick (Look Back), a deliberate indication of the relationship to the second movement.

CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS OF PIANO SONATA NO. 1 “DER MAIN”

4.1 German Romantic Traits Relative to Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main”

Literature and Landscape as Inspiration

The events in Hindemith’s life surrounding the conception of Piano Sonata no. 1

“Der Main” were challenging. He constantly struggled against the Nazis’ label of what they considered truly German art, a label their press consistently used to berate and denounce his music. The leave of absence granted to him by the Hochschule—though voluntarily requested by Hindemith—effectively removed him from the artistic scene in

Berlin. Combined with multiple bans on his music throughout Germany, his leave of absence must have seemed more like an exile. Hindemith’s letters address the effect of these circumstances on his political standing with the Nazis as well as the status of his various performance and compositional projects, but there is limited mention on how his personal life was affected. In his introduction to the letters, Geoffrey Skelton describes

Hindemith as being “an intensely private person.”30 Hindemith himself is known to have said “Anyone who wishes to know about me should look at my works.”31 This statement seems particularly applicable to Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” when considering the subtitle on the autograph score.

Despite all the optimism present in his letters, one might assume that Hindemith felt a sense of longing for home and the times before the Nazis’ rise to power when he

30 Paul Hindemith, Selected Letters of Paul Hindemith, ed. and trans by Geoffrey Skelton (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1995.), xi.

31 Geoffrey Skelton, Paul Hindemith: The Man Behind the Music (London: Victor Gollancz LTD, 1975), 11.

departed for Ankara in 1934. Hölderlin’s “Der Main” is defined by themes of nostalgia for one’s homeland, isolation, and travel. The poet describes the sensations he wishes to experience when visiting various locations for most of the poem, specifically the Greek islands. The colorful descriptions of the landscape portray a sense of joyful longing, but two verses change the poem’s emotional tone entirely:

To you, perhaps, O islands, a homeless Singer might one day come; for he must Wander from stranger to stranger, and the Earth, so wide and free, must serve him

Alas as home in place of his country While he lives. And when he dies—yet I’ll never forget you As far as I roam, O lovely Main, with Your shores blest and blest again.

The sense of nostalgia from the “homeless singer” is punctuated by the description of wandering “from stranger to stranger” and the acceptance of the Earth as their home “in place of his country.” Hölderlin’s narrative parallels Hindemith’s own circumstances and suggests that the “impulse” to write Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” was personal.

Hölderlin’s title “Der Main” refers to the River Main, one of the largest bodies of water in Germany. Hindemith’s birthplace Hanau and the city of Frankfurt—where he received his education and began his career—are both situated along the River Main.32 In the final verse of the poem, Hölderlin describes the movement of the river as it connects to the

Rhine:

32 Hanau is 25km (about 15 miles) East of Frankfurt. 45

O ruhig mit den Sternen, du Glüklichter! Wallst du von deinem Morgen zum Abend fort, Dem Bruder zu, dem Rhein; und denn mit Ihm in den Ocean freudig nieder!

As silent as the stars, O happy one, You course from your morning to evening Toward your brother, the Rhine, and then Down to the Ocean with him in joy!

The word ruhig only appears here in the last verse, but it is a recurring marking through

Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main.”33

Revolution: Deviation from Conventional Form

Unlike the 18th-century forms Neo-Classical music is known to draw inspiration from, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” is structured in five movements. While the poem has no programmatic function within the form, the sonata has recurring emotional tones like the poem which suggests a continuous narrative. This narrative is also conveyed through the thematic connections that unify the sonata. The most apparent of these connections occurs between the first and fourth movements in which the opening theme is directly transposed from A major to D major (Musical Examples 23 and 24).

33 Nick Hoff’s translation of ruhig as “silent” is one of several interpretations of the term available. In the context of Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” this translation is not applicable and will instead be translated as “peacefully” for the purposes of analyzing the sonata’s form. 46

Musical Example 23. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” first movement, mm. 1–4.34

Musical Example 24. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” fourth movement, mm. 24–27.

The first movement’s second principal theme also returns in the fourth movement.

Hindemith uses a variation of this theme as the opening of the fourth movement rather than exactly repeating the formal structure of the first movement (Musical Examples 25 and 26).

34 Hindemith does not provide a time signature or indicate changes in meter within the first and fourth movements. 47

Musical Example 25. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” first movement, mm. 23–24.

Musical Example 26. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” fourth movement, mm. 1–4.

The direct quotation of these themes can be analyzed as a cyclic device. Charles

Rosen defines a cyclical form as “the disturbance of an established form” that is achieved when “an earlier movement intrude[s] on the domain of a later one.”35 He explains that the “dislocation of an accepted form…enabled him [the Romantic composer] to use a traditional form but give it a more personal urgency.”36 The use of cyclic devices is not a specifically Romantic tradition, but its application in 19th-century composition is used as a means of unifying larger forms as a narrative. Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” is also

35 Charles Rosen, The Romantic Generation (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1995), 88.

36 Ibid., 88–89. 48

unified through the transformations of thematic material and Hindemith’s tempo markings. While only the first and fourth movements share direct thematic connection, the tempo marking ruhig in the first, third, and fourth movements appears with these returns to the opening character and texture (Musical Examples 27, 28, 29, and 30).

Musical Example 27. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” first movement, mm. 1–4.

Musical Example 28. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” third movement, mm. 61–65.

Musical Example 29. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” third movement, mm. 287–291.

Musical Example 30. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” fourth movement, mm. 1–4.

The recurring marking is indicative of both the tempo and the character of these sections.

The first and fourth movement’s marking Ruhig bewegte Viertel (Peacefully moving quarters) is comparable to Hölderlin’s description of the river’s movement as it joins the

Rhine. While both movements frequently change meter—a common trait in Hindemith’s compositions—neither features any indication of these changes except for the rhythmic content.

4.2 Other Significant Thematic Connections

In addition to shared thematic material between the first and fourth movements,

Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” contains several thematic connections throughout its structure. These connections are less apparent due to variations of melodic content, 50

rhythmic augmentation, and differences in texture. An in-depth analysis reveals other thematic connections within individual movements and also between movements. The following is a discussion the most significant of these connections.

During the third movement, Lebhaft (lively), Hindemith inserts a chorale at m.

147 that directly inverts the outline of the sonata’s opening. The quotation is obscured by rhythmic augmentation, but the exact intervallic structure of the bass line is identical to that of the first movement (Musical Examples 31 and 32).

Musical Example 31. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” third movement, mm. 147–150.

Musical Example 32. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” first movement, mm. 1–2.

The chorale also appears in m. 204, marked im anfangszeitmaß (in the first tempo), combining the progression with the movement’s opening dotted figure. (Musical

Example 33).

Musical Example 33. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” third movement, mm. 212–216.

In the B section of the second movement, Hindemith introduces a chromatic theme in mm. 33–34. This theme is transposed in mm. 45–46 and ends the B section in mm. 54–59 (Musical Examples 34, 35, and 36).

Musical Example 34. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” second movement, mm. 33–34.

Musical Example 35. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” second movement, mm. 45–46.

Musical Example 36. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” second movement, mm. 54–59.

Within the A section’s reprise, the same theme from the B section returns in m.

71. The theme is not as pronounced due to the rhythmic augmentation, the incorporation of the A section’s double-dotted figure, and the displacement of the theme between different octaves (Musical Example 37).

Musical Example 37. Paul Hindemith, Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” second movement, mm. 71–74.

4.3 Parallels: Brahms’ Piano Sonata in F minor, op. 5

There are several compositional elements that are shared between Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” and Piano Sonata in F minor, op. 5 by Johannes Brahms. Each sonata is unusually structured as a five-movement form that employ a unifying cyclic device among movements. The connection between Hindemith’s first and fourth movements is similar to the connection between Brahms’s second and fourth movements which share the same theme, shifting from major to minor. While Brahms draws attention to this connection beyond the theme itself through the title of the fourth movement, Hindemith draws attention to the connection through his tempo marking: Ruhig bewegte Viertel, wie im ersten Teil (Peacefully moving quarters, as in the first part).37 Both sonatas contain markings that cite literary inspiration, though they are presented quite differently. Brahms directly inserts poetry into the score, preceding the second movement, whereas

Hindemith provides a personal subtitle on the first page that states that Hölderlin’s poem is the source of his inspiration. One might consider the parallels between these sonatas as yet another source of inspiration and influence on Hindemith’s compositional process in the same way that Beethoven inspired and influenced Brahms.

37 “Part” may also be translated as “movement.” 55

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION

Paul Hindemith’s expansive oeuvre demonstrates a command and thorough understanding of compositional process while also featuring a broad stylistic range.

However, analyses of his compositions often focus on Neo-Classical elements from repertoire such as Piano Sonata no. 2 and have resulted in a vague and generalized labeling of Hindemith as a Neo-Classical composer.

The progression of style from the Suite 1922 through the three piano sonatas and

Ludus Tonalis reveals that Hindemith was constantly developing his compositional process. This progression also shows that Hindemith’s music was shaped by the musical, political, and social environments he experienced throughout his life. The traits in Piano

Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” that do not parallel Neo-Classicism—in particular the five- movement form, cyclic device, and poetic inspiration—suggest that Hindemith’s compositional process was personal, especially when compared to the more objective approach to texture, form and genre found in the other piano sonatas.

The author felt compelled to explore the historical background and compositional style of Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” due to the lack of prominent Neo-Classical traits, especially since all three piano sonatas were composed during 1936. The Neo-Classical traits within the other two piano sonatas—also composed in 1936—highlight the absence of those traits from Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main.” The application of 18th-century formal conventions and textural outlines during the 20th-century was a rejection of

German Romantic influence. There is no program—story, poem, or quote—that contributes to the shape of Piano Sonata no. 2 and Piano Sonata no. 3. It is clear that the 56

forms and textures that inspired and shaped Piano Sonata no. 2 or Piano Sonata no. 3 were not as foundational to Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main.”

German Romanticism inspired composers to reimagine the forms, textures, and narratives of their music. Literary sources were often the base for a program that framed the entire form for a composition or it could simply set the emotional tone. Certain textures were composed to convey specific elements of a story, as in Liszt’s Mazeppa or

Schubert’s Erlkönig. Other musical narratives were enhanced through the use of cyclic devices which connected separate movements with thematic content. The use of the same theme in separate movements within an extended form—as in Beethoven Piano Sonata in

A major, op. 101 or Brahms Piano Sonata in F minor, op. 5—provides unity.

Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” is rooted in German Romantic tradition.

Hindemith’s declaration that Hölderlin’s poem inspired the work cites his literary inspiration directly. Additionally, the narrative of the poet in Hölderlin’s “Der Main” seems to parallel Hindemith’s life during 1936 and further suggests a personal motivation and subjective approach to the compositional process. The foundational German

Romantic traits found in Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main”—the poem and its narrative, the unusual five-movement form, cyclic devices, and other various thematic connections— are antithetical to the Neo-Classical style. While this document did not explore texture as a defining attribute of style for Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main,” it is clear that the sonata’s textures vastly differ from the sonatas composed later that year.38

38 In the same manner that Neo-Classical textures are compared with Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven, the textures of Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” could be compared with works by German Romantic composers. However, the distinct approaches to texture by composers of 19th-century piano repertoire makes this a subjective and unreliable method of analysis. 57

Certain pieces of Paul Hindemith’s body of piano works are dismissed as the product of an academic craftsman and often presumed to be Neo-Classical. However, his compositional process and style were continuously shifting. This examination of Piano

Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” challenges broad stylistic categorization and encourages more focused analysis of individual works that will ultimately display Hindemith as an eclectic composer who draws from many influences, including that of German Romanticism. 58

APPENDIX: FRIEDRICH HÖLDERLIN’S “DER MAIN”

Der Main.39 Wohl manches Land der lebenden Erde möcht Ich sehn, und öfters über die Berg’ enteilt Das Herz mir, und die Wünsche wandern Über das Meer, zu den Ufern, die mir

Vor andern, so ich kenne, gepriesen sind; Doch lieb ist in der Ferne nicht Eines mir. Wie jenes, wo die Göttersöhne Schlafen, das trauernde Land der Griechen.

Ach! einmal dort an Suniums Küste möcht’ Ich landen, deine Säulen, Olympion! Erfragen, dort, noch eh der Nordsturm Hin in den Schutt der Athenertempel

Und ihrer Götterbilder auch dich begräbt; Denn lang schon einsam stehst du, o Stolz der Welt, Die nicht mehr ist!–und o ihr schönen Inseln Ioniens, wo die Lüfte

Vom Meere kühl an warme Gestade wehn, Wenn unter kräft’ger Sonne die Traube reift, Ach! wo ein goldner Herbst dem armen Volk in Gesänge die Seufzer wandelt,

Wenn die Betrüben izt ihr Limonenwald Und ihr Granatbaum, purpurner Aepfel voll Und süßer Wein und Pauk’ und Zithar Zum labyrintischen Tanze ladet–

Zu euch vieleicht, ihr Inseln! geräth nach einst Ein heimathloser Sänger; den wander muß Von Fremden er zu Fremden, und die Erde, die freie, sie muß ja leider!

Statt Vaterlands im dienen, so lang er lebt, Und wenn er stirbt—doch nimmer vergeß ich dich, So fern ich wander, schöner Main! und Deine Gestade, die vielbeglükten.

39 Friedrich Hölderlin, Odes and Elegies, trans. Nick Hoff (Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press, 2008), 62–64. 59

Gastfreundlich nahmst du Stolzer! bei dir mich auf Und heitertest das Auge dem Fremdlinge, Und still hingleitende Gesänge Lehrtest du mich und geräuschlos Leben.

O ruhig mit den Sternen, du Glüklichter! Wallst du von deinem Morgen zum Abend fort, Dem Bruder zu, dem Rhein; und denn mit Ihm in den Ocean freudig nieder!

The Main.40 Yes I’d like to see many a land On this living earth, and often my heart Rushes over the mountains, and my wishes roam Over the sea to the shores that are

Praised above those that I know; And nothing is dearer to me in the distance Than that place where the sons of gods Are sleeping, the mournful land of the Greeks.

Ah, just for once I’d like to set shore On Sunium’s coast and ask the way To your columns, Olympieion! There before The northern storm buries you too in the ruins

Of Athen’s temples and their images of gods; For you’ve stood there alone so long, O pride Of that vanished world!—And O you Beautiful Ionian isles, where the breezes

Of the sea blow cool against the calid shores, Where the grape grows ripe in the powerful sun, Ah, where a golden autumn turns The poor people’s sighs into song,

When their lemon groves and their pomegranate Trees full of purple fruit, and sweet wine And drum and zither invite the saddened ones Into labyrinthine dance—

To you, perhaps, O islands, a homeless Singer might one day come; for he must

40 Ibid., 63–65. 60

Wander from stranger to stranger, and the Earth, so wide and free, must serve him

Alas as home in place of his country While he lives. And when he dies—yet I’ll never forget you As far as I roam, O lovely Main, with Your shores blest and blest again.

Openhearted, O proud one, you welcomed me And brightened the eyes of this stranger, And you taught me silently flowing Songs and how to live without a sound.

As silent as the stars, O happy one, You course from your morning to evening Toward your brother, the Rhine, and then Down to the Ocean with him in joy!

REFERENCES

Beethoven, Ludwig van. Piano Sonata in A major, op. 101. Edited by Bertha Antonia Wallner. München: G. Henle Verlag, 1980.

Brahms, Johannes. Balladen, op. 10. Edited by Eusebius Mandyczewski. Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1927.

______. Piano Sonata in F minor, op. 5. Edited by Eusebius Mandyczewski. Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1927.

Einsten, Alfred. Music in the Romantic Era. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1947.

Gutman, David. "Neo-classicism." Gramophone 93, no. 1125 (August 2015): 100. Accessed December 14, 2016. http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy3.library.arizona.edu/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&u=uarizon a_main&id=GALE%7CA426765446&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon&authCount=1.

Hindemith, Paul. The Craft of Musical Composition. Translated by Arthur Mendel. New York: B. Schott’s Söhne, 1937.

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______. Piano Sonata no. 1 “Der Main” (1936). Mainz: Schott, 1936.

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______. Piano Sonata no. 3 (1936). Mainz: Schott, 1936.

______. Selected Letters of Paul Hindemith. Edited and translated by Geoffrey Skelton. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1995.

______. Suite 1922. Mainz: Schott, 1922.

Hölderlin, Friedrich. Selected Poems of Friedrich Hölderlin. Translated by Maxine Chernoff and Paul Hoover. Richmond, California: Omnidawn Publishing, 2008.

______. Odes and Elegies. Translated and edited by Nick Hoff. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press, 2008.

______. Poems and Fragments. Translated by Michael Hamburger. London: Anvil Press, 2004.

Kemp, Ian. Hindemith. New York, Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1970. 62

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Schumann, Robert. Phantasie in C major, op. 17. Edited by Clara Schumann. Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1879.

Skelton, Geoffrey. Paul Hindemith: The Man Behind the Music. London: Victor Gollancz LTD, 1975.

Thurston, Viscount Francis. "Hindemith’s Third Piano Sonata: A New Assessment." DMA diss., Ohio State University, 1984. Accessed December 20, 2017. http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy1.l ibrary.arizona.edu/docview/303318651?accountid=8360.

Whittall, Arnold. “Neo-classicism,” Oxford Music Online. Accessed April 2, 2018. http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy4.library.arizona.edu/subscriber/articl e/grove/music/19723.