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| SymphonyMathis der Maler | |
|---|---|
| byPaul Hindemith | |
 The Temptation of Saint Anthony, on which the third movement is based | |
| Related | Mathis der Maler (opera) |
| Based on | paintings byMatthias Grünewald |
| Composed | 1934 (1934) |
| Performed | 12 March 1934 (1934-03-12): Berlin |
| Movements | three |
Symphony:Mathis der Maler (Matthias the Painter) is among the most famous orchestral works of German composerPaul Hindemith. Music from thesymphony was incorporated into, or reworked for, Hindemith's operaMathis der Maler, which concerns the painterMatthias Grünewald (or Neithardt).
Hindemith composed the symphony in 1934, while plans for the opera were in their preliminary stages. The conductorWilhelm Furtwängler asked him at that time for a new work to perform on an upcomingBerlin Philharmonic concert tour, and Hindemith decided to compose symphonic movements that could serve as instrumental interludes in the opera, or be drawn upon or elaborated into various scenes. Furtwängler and the Berlin Philharmonic gave the first performance on 12 March 1934. The first performance outside Germany was given by theNew York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra in October 1934, conducted byOtto Klemperer.[1] Other early performances include theLeningrad Philharmonic Orchestra in 1936, conducted byDaniel Sternberg.
The symphony was well received at its first performances, but Furtwängler faced severe criticism from theNazi government for performing the work, given that other Hindemith scores had been denounced by the party as "degenerate" and "Jewish connected." Moreover the opera's plot, which turned on an artist's duty to pursue his vision irrespective of political considerations, was anathema to Nazi ideology. Hindemith completed the full opera by 1935 but because of the political climate it could not be staged in Germany, and only in 1938 was it at last premiered, inZürich, Switzerland.
The symphony is in threemovements:
which correspond to the opera as follows:
Each movement relates to a tableau painted by Grünewald for theIsenheim Altarpiece, an elaborate construction of panels behind panels, which presents different views as its various levels are unfolded. The Concert of Angels is seen when the outer wings of the altarpiece are opened; the Entombment remains always visible at the base of the altarpiece below the wings; and theBosch-like Temptation of St. Anthony is uncovered when the inner wings are opened. Grünewald juxtaposed religious serenity with depictions of suffering grounded in the tensions that wracked 16th century Germany during the peasant uprising prompted by theReformation. These contrasts are faithfully mirrored in Hindemith's score, which offers at once a portrait of a turbulent historical era and an urgent contemporary statement born amid political strife.
Hindemith's principle of harmonic fluctuation is readily apparent in this work. For example, the second movement opens on a perfect fifth sonority and gradually introduces more dissonant pitches. The result is an implied tonal center, although in much of his harmony thefunctional tonality of tradition plays no governing role.
Introduction: "Es sungen drei Engel" (folk song) m. 9–16
Theme 1 m. 39–47
Theme 2 m. 98–106
Theme 3 m. 135–142
Three chord motive m. 54
Theme 1 m. 1–4
Theme 2 m. 16–20
Introduction m. 1–3
Theme 1 m. 19–26
Theme 2 m. 87–102
Descending motive m. 141–142
Slow section theme m. 195–199
"Lauda Sion Salvatorem" (plain chant) m. 468–480
"Alleluia" m. 520–525
The symphony is scored for these instruments:piccolo, 2flutes, 2oboes, 2clarinets, 2bassoons, 4horns, 2trumpets, 3trombones,tuba,timpani, 3percussion,strings. Duration: 25 minutes in three movements (with pauses).
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