Hindemith: 'Das Unaufhörliche'

[uffeviking]

This afternoon I watched the concert performance of this Hindemith 110 minute long colossal work, recorded at the Alte Oper, Frankfurt, with the Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Frankfurt conducted by Dmitri Kitajenko.

The title of this Oratorio could be translated as 'Perpetual but it does hört auf, believe me, with a flourish even, and I like it! Would you believe there are six choral groups? From Riga, Mainz, Tenerife, München, Saratov and Siegerland. Of the three soloists I only know Siegmund Nimsgern.

Now I shall do some research to find out what it's all about because it was impossible to understand any of the singers, except a word now and then, except a short phrase by the tenor: "Aber die Wissenschaft, das große Böse".

I don't know why Dr. Göbbels called Hindemith a Geräuschemacher, this work has many lyrical melodies, lovely solo parts for all the winds, especially the clarinets, and the only Geräusch was from the timpani when it accompanied the solo soprano. Never heard this combination, but it worked. Snare drum started Part 2 with a short martial air; no other percussion.

Any help from members here is indeed welcome; I am intrigued by this Hindemith Oratorio and want to learn more about it.

[knight66]

Lis, Your explorations go on! All new to me, I have not managed to appreciate much the Hindemith I have heard. Who knows, 2008 may by my own year of discovery, you make the piece sound interesting.

Mike

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I come to "Das Unaufhörliche" from the other side, so to speak. Hindemith wrote this oratorio in collaboration with Gottfried Benn (1886-1956), Germany's greatest poet of the first half of the twentieth century, and one of my favourites. He is still a very controversial figure, because he was pro-Nazi at the start of Hitler's rule (later on he became disillusioned, fell out of favour with the regime, and went into 'inner exile'). Benn became famous in 1912, with some extraordinary poems that still can shock, entitled 'Morgue', and went on to become a great Expressionist writer and poet, although his stature is such that the label isn't wholly fitting.

With regard to 'Das Unaufhörliche', I have the whole correspondence of Hindemith and Benn about their collaboration, with a concluding essay. I have never heard the work itself, but I do have the text. If there are any questions, I'm willing to see whatever I can learn from that book...

Jez

[uffeviking]

Jez, how fascinating! And also humiliating because I have never heard of the poet Gottfried Benn, even though I was one of the best students in German literature class!

I am wondering if in the correspondence you have, if there is any indication of serious disagreements between the poet and the composer. I am asking because I have read about the falling-out between Hindemith and Bert Brecht over one of their planned production.

Lis

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I am wondering if in the correspondence you have, if there is any indication of serious disagreements between the poet and the composer. I am asking because I have read about the falling-out between Hindemith and Bert Brecht over one of their planned production.

Lis

I'm reading the 'Nachwort', where the editor, Ann Clark Fehn, tells the history of Hindemith's and Benn's collaboration, which came about after and because of H's and Brecht's falling-out: Benn and Hindemith were more alike in their (more conservative) thinking about art and society. So their collaboration (1930-31) was a happy one.

[M forever]

I don't know why Dr. Göbbels called Hindemith a Geräuschemacher

Probably because Dr. Goebbels was a demented piece of crap, highly intelligent but completely spineless and a conscienceless opportunist who used his talents only to find a role for himself in society which allowed him to compensate for his twisted psyche on a grand scale; and a failed artist on top of that, like so many of these people were/are - he wrote novels and poetry which no one wanted to read, but as propaganda minister he made sure everybody had to pay attention to him.

[karlhenning]

That is the best sentence I've read in a long time about Goebbels.