Paul Hindemith: An Eighteenth Century Musician Living in the Twentieth

"It's okay, you don't need to be scared of me. I'm not that crazy-atonal-German-type composer, just a regular crazy-German composer.

I can think of no better accolade for Paul Hindemith than calling him an 18th century musician, stuck in the twentieth. Composers of that era, in addition to writing music, performed (in orchestras, chamber groups, as soloists), rehearsed, conducted, taught, arranged, and had to arrange concerts of orchestras and chamber musicians. Famously, J.S. Bach’s duties (in Leipzig) involved directing the orchestra of the Thomaskirche (and the Nikolaikirche, the often-forgotten 2nd church in town), which included tracking down players for special performances, composing new music, teach the students of the Thomasschule (he also provided music for the Paulinerkirche on occasion), and he was also director of the Collegium Musicum (remember that) at Cafe Zimmermann. He also consulted and traveled, and presumably found time to teach his own sons. 

Herr Hindemith composed (prolifically), played violin and viola in orchestras and string quartets, organized for the Donaueschingen Festival (click here to view all the programs of the Festival, dating to 1921), taught at the Berliner Hochschule and later at Yale, traveled to reorganize music ed for the Turks, toured as soloist, recorded, conducted, wrote and codified his ideas for music theory, led the Collegium Musicum (told ya!) at Yale, etc. Indeed Hindemith's erudition and interests dwarf that of his contemporaries.

Cornetto? How many damn instruments did he play? 

To some extent this has always been the life of a musician. However, due to the fracturing of our field through the twentieth century, and increasing specialization, this is not necessarily the case today. 

My older professors tell me that the 'most important' twentieth century composers used to be: Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Bartok, and Hindemith. Probably due to the popularity of later composers, Hindemith’s star has faded. 

Hindemith and some crazy-atonal(ish)-Russian-type composer. Stravinsky has never looked hipper, btw.

I love when one of Hindemith’s lesser-known works shows up on concert programs. In addition, it’s stimulating to learn about Hindemith’s hidden life. Some of the highlights include:

• His performing with the Amar Quartet. Founded in 1921 in response to Hindemith’s need for an ensemble to premiere his Third Quartet, they made some influential recordings of works by Beethoven and Bartok (including the premiere recording of Bartok’s Second Quartet). Paul also included his brother, Rudolf as cellist. 

Amar Quartet

• Speaking of Rudolf, we should all watch closely to see how Rudolf Hindemith’s life and music are rediscovered in the future. According to German wiki, in order to get out from under the shadow of his more famous brother (shades of Cain and Abel) he tended more towards wind music and jazz. There are a few recordings of his works listed on Amazon. Another in a long line of composers who faded during the mid-twentieth century. 
• Hindemith’s late works: the Harmonie der Welt Symphonie, Organ Concerto, Mass, Octet. These specifically deserve to be rehabilitated. 
• Hindemith’s avant-garde(ish) works. The Ragtime of 1921, the Viola Sonata op. 25 no. 1, some of his existing early film scores, and his works for Trautonium (Hindemith’s student, Harald Genzmer, also wrote for this early electronic instrument. The bird noises in Hitchcock’s The Birds were made by Oskar Sala and his trautonium). 

Hindemith’s music certainly suffers from ‘good craftsmanship’ at times, although I admire greatly the craft of composition. His sonata cycle (for all the common orchestral instruments, and some of the uncommon ones) can be stodgy and mundane at times, but there are also some great hidden gems: the Tuba sonata stands out, and most of his works for the string instruments deserve to be heard more often. 

I would love to move past the Hindemith of the Symphonic Metamorphosis and Mathis der Maler Symphony, and embrace the Hindemith of Der Schwanendreher, Pittsburg Symphony, Four Temperaments, and Concerto for Orchestra. 

N.B. All photos are from the invaluable headquarters of Paul Hindemith on the interwebs: www.hindemith.info. All opinions expressed in this weblog are solely that of the writer, and not of any administrative body or entity. Any copyrighted works exhibited here are included for the purpose of criticism, comment, scholarship, and research. All other rights reserved by the author.