Customer Reviews

Hindemith: Kammermusik #2, Konzertmusik for Viola, Piano Concerto

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I find the music of Paul Hindemith unjustly neglected by the recording companies and, presumably, by the music lovers, even those interested in modern music. This statement may sound outlandish in view of the innumerable recordings made of his Mathis der Maler-Symphony or Weber-Metamorphoses. But there is much, much more to Hindemith than just these few warhorses, and most of it is very, very good. It is also, compared to, say, Bartok, vastly under-recorded, and this collection of Louisville recordings is a case in point. Not so much for the Kammermusik No. 2 Op. 36/1 for piano, if only because there have been a number of recordings of the complete set of Kammermusiken, including Chailly's (Paul Hindemith: Kammermusik Nos. 1-7) and Abbado's (Hindemith: Kammermusic 1-7 / Der Schwanendreher). But with the Konzertmusik op. 48 for Viola and large Orchestra (not to be confused with the Kammermusik op 36/4) and the Piano Concerto, there are no more than two or three competing versions for each on CD, not always easily available. Yet these are all superb compositions.

Why is Hindemith's such fine music? First, as with Bartok (and unlike, say, Krenek), there is an unmistakable Hindemith sound: once you've become familiar with his style, you'll unmistakably recognize it in a few seconds, whatever the instrumental combination. Second, whether it is the early and firebrand Hindemith or the later, mature, toned-down and classically-minded composer, the language is highly appealing, sweepingly dramatic, muscular, propelled by an unrelenting forward-drive, elaborately wrought. So, whatever the reasons why he has been, compared to Bartok or Schoenberg or Stravinsky, relatively neglected, today Hindemith can be enjoyed for what he was: an inimitably individual composer.

Even the Louisville Orchestra came late to recording Hindemith: these date from 1968, 1969 and 1987. The Piano Concerto has already been released on CD, part of the small batch of ten CDs published by the Orchestra's label when it attempted the move to the new medium in the late 1980s (Paul Hindemith - Concerto for Piano / Donaldson V Lawhead - Aleost / Ellen Taaffe Zwilich - Symphony No 2 (First Edition)). But this coherent, one-composer program is much more attractive.

Kammermusik No. 2 op. 36/1 from 1924 is a concerto for piano and chamber orchestra. Something of the provocative firebrand remains. It has an irresistible motoric energy and, in the piano part, and elaborate Bach-inspired counterpoint and muscularity. For comparison I've taken out of my shelves Chailly's much-lauded complete recording of the Kammermusiken with the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. I prefer the Louisville disc. First, the cruder and more glaring sonics befit the piece ideally - every orchestral and piano detail comes out clear and glaring as under a bright spotlight, and that kind of exposure is exactly what the piece needs (the opening drone - what is it, bassoon and trombone? - is strikingly present). Under Chailly it is all more comfortable and distant. And Mester and Luvisi have the perfect drive - their tempo to the first movement is the same as Chailly's, to the second, and their finale, notated "quick sixteenth note" is even faster - and, thanks to the sonics, much more biting. Luvisi also has exactly the kind of muscularity of attack and clarity of articulation that the Bach-inspired part demands.

The 1945 Piano Concerto is an illustration of the more toned-down and gentle Hindemith, but all the hallmarks of his style are present: an alternately muscular and merrily whimsical, but always highly-wrought piano part, sardonically biting brass, motoric drive, climaxes of sweeping dramatic grandeur. I'm aware of only one other studio recording available on CD, conducted by Werner Andreas Albert on Cpo (Paul Hindemith: The Four Temperaments, for Piano & Strings / Piano Concerto - Siegfried Mauser), and one old live recording from 1949 by Celibidache conducting the Berlin Philharmonic crops up regularly on various bootleg labels - I have its first CD release on Nuova Era, not listed here apparently. Its antiquated sonics and sometimes ragged ensemble playing put the latter out of the running anyway. As for Albert, though he may have an edge in the sheer grandeur of the orchestral climaxes, here again it is the Louisville recording (conducted this time by Lawrence Leighton-Smith) that I prefer, for the same reasons as above: clearer and more detailed sonics, and more drive (noticing that the slow middle section of the finale lasted 4:15 with Albert and 2:20 with L-S, I thought the latter must have cuts. Well, apparently not).

Konzertmusik op. 48 was composed in 1930, part of a triptych including the more famous Konzertmusik op. 50 for brass and strings, and the rare Konzertmusik op 49 for piano, two harps and brass. Its woodwind-dominated textures exude a perky and sarcastic mood, but it has the all the typical motoric climaxes, while the viola brings its own, plangent color, especially in the second movement. I don't have the two competing studio recordings to compare this one with (Hindemith: Viola Vorks Vol.1 and Hindemith: Viola Concertos), the only other version I have is a live recording from 1963 with Georg Schmid that was published by Schwann-Musica Mundi in 1987 - and the label didn't let you know who conducted, of Robert Heger or Rafael Kubelik (Hindemith: Virtuose Werke für Bratsche). Anyway, Raphael Hillier and Mester win again hands down - and it's not just a question of better sonics. Just take the movement marked "lebhaft" (lively) as a pointer : 2:24 with Hillyer, 2:47 with Schmid.

Strangely, there seems to be a discrepancy between the sonics of the orchestra and the soloist. The former is bright and present as in the other recordings, but the viola has more reverb, as if recorded in a very large hall. And, as with other First Edition Music transfers, I hear over headphones, in the softer passages, some soft clicks sounding like the surface noise of a very clean LP, which, if the case, belies the labels claim that the transfers were made directly from the master tapes.

Still, this is a case where First Edition Music's policy of collating coherent, one-composer programs from various Louisville LPs takes all its meaning: the sum is even greater than the individual parts. This belongs to any serious Hindemith collection.

The fidelity of the sound is fine. The treble notes are sharp and the lower registers are not muddy. By necessity, my listening test was conducted using the stereo sytem of my new 2011 Honda Fit automobile, as I currently do not have access to my home stereo system (Yamaha amplifier and ADS speakers). Every moment of these compositions on this disc is imbued with the Hindemith style and sound. In other words, a person familiar with other pieces by this composer, will be able to identify the composer with only 20 seconds of listening.

This is about the first piece, KAMMERMUSIK No.2. The first movement is 3 min, 21 seconds. It starts with a drone of background instruments, where the drone lasts for 30 seconds. The 30-second drone is repeated, starting again at about one minute. The piano plays over the background drone. The first movement is frantic, and has a herky-jerky theme. I like to listen to the first movement, over and over. But I try to avoid the second movement, because of the bleak foghorn sound. The second movement (9 min, 18 sec) is slow, with a pair of clarinets, on occasion, playing a forlorn foghorn theme. The piano plays throughout the second movement, and mostly the playing is alleatory (no tune, no theme, no particular rhythm). But at 6 min, 45 sec, into the second movement, the winds play a jazzy riff and things liven up. But the forlorn foghorn repeats a few more times. At 8 minutes into this movement, what appears is a broken-record episode, where an instrument plays the same little riff, over and over and over. The third movement is only 1 min, 30 sec. It is lively. The piano plays throughout. The trumpet plays the broken record motif. The brass and flute, on occasion, play little percussive squawks. The fourth movement is somewhat more pleasing to the ear. This movement is 5 min, 29 sec. The trumpet plays a dignified flourish, which serves as a theme, and which is repeated on occasion throughout this movement. On occasion, the melange of piano and other instruments, in the fourth movement, is actually lovely.

This is about the second piece, CONCERT MUSIC FOR VIOLA AND LARGE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA. There are five movements, with timings of 4 min 47 sec; 8 min 10 sec; 2 min 24 sec; 3 min 30 sec; and 2 min 13 sec. The first movement starts out with a happy tune, sounding a bit like, "I Wish I Were in Dixie." At 40 seconds into this movement, the viola makes it entrance. The recorded sound of the viola sounds tinny, but the rest of the orchestra sounds fine. The second movement is a slow movement, with prominent viola solo. The viola does not play any particular melody. The music has a gentle undulating quality, due to the 3/4 time signature. At 5 min 8 sec into this movement, the undulating sequence is replaced by a more aggressive episode. The viola still plays its aleatory "melody." The third movement is very lively, with piccolo trills. The orchestra plays an inebriated march, while the tinny viola (see above) plays at a rate much faster than the rest of the orchestra. In view of the disproportionately greater rate of the viola notes, it can be said that this is be-bop viola playing. It seems that for every note played by a member of the backing orchestra, the viola plays eight notes. I don't think that this particular techniques works well -- the effect is a disjointed effect. The fourth movement starts with an oboe solo, then after a few seconds, the viola makes its entrance. The orchestra provides a little chugging motif, and sometimes a little warbling motif. The fifth movement is a beautiful movement. Although the movement is lively, there is no imbalance between the rate of the viola and the rate of the orchestra. The music is driving and lively. Towards the end, that is, at 1 min 50 sec to 2 min, there is an odd woofing-motif, where the basses and cellos play in unison a sound resembling a group of woofing dogs.

The PIANO CONCERTO is the best of these pieces. Unlike the other compositions on this compilation, the PIANO CONCERTO does not have any qualities of a "first draft composition" or an "experimental composition," a quality found in the other two pieces on this disc and, at least in my opinion, in a number of other compositions by this composer.

The PIANO CONCERTO has three movements, lasting 8 min 24 sec, 8 min 40 sec, and 10 min 21 sec.

The first movement begins with a slow, pastoral wash of sound. At 30 seconds, the piano enters, then joined by woodwinds, with pizzacato-ing strings in the background. At 2 min, a muted trumpet provides a brief jagged motif, which is followed by a short piano solo, then followed by the snapping, jagged trumpet motif. At 3 min 20 sec, the full orchestra with timpani and cymbol crash provides a much louder wash of triumphant sound which, at 4 min, is replaced by a slow version of something that Cecil Taylor might play (Cecil Taylor is a famed jazz pianist). At 5 min 45 sec, the orchestra returns, playing in a fuguing manner, with a continual prominant bass line. The first movement concludes with the trumpet playing the little jagged motif.

The second movement begins with a high-pitched drone or whine, lasting one minute, with cellos (celli?) and clarinets playing little flourishes. The first several mnutes of the 2nd movement sounds a bit like the dreamlike ominous opening minutes of Bartok's MUSIC FOR STRINGS, PERCUSSION, AND CELESTE, or like an ominous part of DECORATION DAY by Charles Ives. According to commentary by Michael Tilson Thomas, in his disc "Keeping Score," he describes this particular sound, as it occurs in the Ives piece, as reminiscent of wind blowing briskly over a crust of snow in a meadow. At about 5 min, the dreamlike ominous sound is replaced by a short bombastic episode, which is then replaced by a slow version of Cecil Taylor-style piano playing.

The third movement begins with a romping episode, including piano and bassoon. At 2 min 45 sec, the piano engages in a very brief broken record-motif, where the piano repeats the same, exact sequence of around ten notes, again and again and again. At 3 min 30 sec, comes a delightful perky episode with trills reminiscent of the trills in SYMPHONIC METAMORPHOSIS by Hindemith. At 5 min comes a lovely part, with piano and flutes playing a gypsy tune. At 9 min, the orchestra bursts forth with a rousing Turkish tune, with trumpet fanfares and snare drum and cymbol crash.

To view the big picture, the tuneful and melodious symphonic compositions of Hindemith, in my opinion, are limited to only three compositions. These are MATHIS DER MALER, SYMPHONIC METAMORPHOSIS, and VIOLIN CONCERTO. These three compositions are treasure-troves of melodies, and of variations of melodies. Any person with an ear for music will likely want more tuneful compositions by Hindemith. Of all the Hindemith compositions that might come close to satisfying this urge, I would first recommend the PIANO CONCERTO found on this disc.