Hindemith's Harmonie

Started by Greta, March 21, 2008, 08:38:29 PM

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Quote from: The new erato on January 31, 2021, 07:53:25 AM
And I strongly recommend the Nagano DVD of Cardillac if ÿou can find it and are unfamiliar with the opera.

I'd buy it if was an audio recording. I'm not much of a fan of watching opera.

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Quote from: SonicMan46 on January 31, 2021, 08:52:49 AM
Hi John - the Hecklephone Trio is also on the Centaur CD shown previously (and below), played by Arthur Grossman who also recorded a 'Hecklephone album' - second poor image below - the Amazon link gives the composers quoted as being on that CD; a used copy from the MP is going for $43 - cannot find the recording on Spotify?  Dave :)

ADDENDUM: checked PrestoClassical, showing a bassoon recording w/ Grossman, pic inserted below; along w/ the Centaur disc.

   

Very cool, Dave. Thanks for the info. 8)

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#322
Quote from: Herman on January 31, 2021, 11:46:48 AM
Those MDG sonata recordings look extremily attractive.

Oddly I love Hindemith's solo works best. The two sonatas for violin solo and the viola solo works.

As DaveF pointed, the MDG recordings are difficult to find. I was incredibly lucky in that I stumbled upon an eBay seller who had the Complete Sonatas Nos. 1-7 (many of them in either mint condition or still sealed in shrinkwrap) as a wholesale lot, so I pounced on it. The Harmonia Mundi recording DaveF also mentioned (Sonatas For...) is an outstanding recording and definitely worth your time.

Here was the photo I initially saw on eBay:


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#323
Well, I got around to ripping the three CPO sets, but I mostly ripped these for the works that are difficult to find outside of these sets like Philharmonic Concerto, Symphonic Dances, etc.

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Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on March 17, 2020, 09:29:59 AM
Reminds me that it is high time for me to revisit Der Dämon

What a fantastic ballet this is, too. I listened to it last night and it had been years since I have heard it. I listened to the older Gerd Albrecht recording (on Wergo), but now that I have the CPO recording (w/ Werner Andreas Albert) ripped to my computer, I should compare this recording with Albrecht.

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#325
I have to say that Der Dämon is a magical work. Full of rhythmic twists and turns. This is an early Hindemith work and I recall that our Rafael (ritter) doesn't like early Hindemith due to its Expressionistic sound-world, but I personally LOVE Expressionistic music, especially mid-period Schoenberg, K. A. Hartmann, Berg, etc. Dark, turbulent sound-worlds are quite 'my thing' when it comes to German/Austrian composers. 8)

SonicMan46

Reposted from the 'Listening Thread' - just received Vol. 2 of the Viola Sonatas which are well done (reviews attached); Zimmermann as stated also recorded a Vol. 1 (single disc) of the Viola Orchestral Works, which I already own on other recordings.  Again note that there is duplication w/ the 'Ensemble Villa Musica' in the sonatas.  Dave

QuoteHindemith, Paul - Viola Sonatas w/ Tabea Zimmermann - new purchase of the 2-disc Vol. 2 set below left; she has also recorded the 'viola orchestral works' (below, right) - reviews of both attached, for those interested; note that for the sonatas, there is some duplication with the 'Ensemble Villa Musica' - Dave :)

 

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Quote from: SonicMan46 on February 08, 2021, 07:48:37 AM
Reposted from the 'Listening Thread' - just received Vol. 2 of the Viola Sonatas which are well done (reviews attached); Zimmermann as stated also recorded a Vol. 1 (single disc) of the Viola Orchestral Works, which I already own on other recordings.  Again note that there is duplication w/ the 'Ensemble Villa Musica' in the sonatas.  Dave

Very nice, Dave. 8) Zimmermann is excellent in Hindemith.

Roasted Swan

The quality of Capriccio's "Modern Times" series of discs has been mentioned on the forum before.  The other day I listened to the volume dedicated to Hindemith;



This encapsulates just what is so good about these discs.  Very well programmed and varied repertoire in vibrant performances well recorded.  The big revelation here for me were the Op.3 Three Songs (which I have on the Chandos/Tortelier disc too but have no memory of!).  Eary works (obviously) but so unlike other Hindemith with a near-Straussian opulence and expressionism.  Fascinating to hear placed in the centre of later/more typical Hindemith.  But then that is levened by the wittier Hindemith of Das Nusch-Nuschi Dance Suite too. 


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Quote from: Roasted Swan on March 11, 2021, 12:17:09 AM
The quality of Capriccio's "Modern Times" series of discs has been mentioned on the forum before.  The other day I listened to the volume dedicated to Hindemith;



This encapsulates just what is so good about these discs.  Very well programmed and varied repertoire in vibrant performances well recorded.  The big revelation here for me were the Op.3 Three Songs (which I have on the Chandos/Tortelier disc too but have no memory of!).  Eary works (obviously) but so unlike other Hindemith with a near-Straussian opulence and expressionism.  Fascinating to hear placed in the centre of later/more typical Hindemith.  But then that is levened by the wittier Hindemith of Das Nusch-Nuschi Dance Suite too.

The Drei Gesänge is a little gem of a work. I think early Hindemith would take many by surprise, especially if they were only familiar with his later output. The only recording I have of this work is on an older Wergo release (which is excellent):



I'm not too familiar with a lot of the more recent Hindemith releases as so many of them couple the same orchestral works or have the same chamber works that I already have in more than satisfying performances. I do think it's a great thing that Hindemith continues to get recorded, though as I believe him to be one of the oft-misunderstood composers of the 20th Century along Schoenberg et. al.

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Quote from: The new erato on March 11, 2021, 12:29:47 AM
Upcoming release:



Looks like an interesting release, but disappointing that the althorn won't be used as Hindemith requested. :-\ Thank goodness this Harmonia Mundi recording gets it right:


The new erato

Quote from: Mirror Image on March 11, 2021, 06:50:17 AM
The Drei Gesänge is a little gem of a work. I think early Hindemith would take many by surprise, especially if they were only familiar with his later output.
Absolutely agree. Weltende is a superb late romantic masterpiece.

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Quote from: The new erato on March 11, 2021, 07:50:23 AM
Absolutely agree. Weltende is a superb late romantic masterpiece.

I also think rather highly of Die junge Magd, which has such an alluring sound-world that fans of Debussy and Ravel would admire.

Leo K.



WOW. This is an amazing release - enjoying every minute of it. I haven't heard Hindemith since 1995 and remembered I liked his sonatas so took a chance on his orchestral work. Currently listening to the Symphony in Eb.


Roasted Swan

Quote from: Leo K. on March 21, 2022, 06:06:57 AM


WOW. This is an amazing release - enjoying every minute of it. I haven't heard Hindemith since 1995 and remembered I liked his sonatas so took a chance on his orchestral work. Currently listening to the Symphony in Eb.

Absolutely - very fine set indeed with the sound of the old East German orchestras so well suited to the music

Jo498

These Kegel recordings are also still findable on separate (one twofer) Berlin Classic CDs if this is more convenient. Sound and interpretations are overall excellent, I think.
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

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Quote from: Roasted Swan on March 21, 2022, 10:47:16 AM
Absolutely - very fine set indeed with the sound of the old East German orchestras so well suited to the music

+ 1 Kegel was an excellent conductor.

MusicTurner

#338
Hindemith: 3 Sonatas for Viola & Piano etc. /Imai,Pöntinen /BIS CD

I think it's an excellent disc; Imai surely puts enough broadness and passion into the music-making, the sound is unusually good, and Pöntinen is very fine too, like he tends to be.

No 'Neue Sachlichkeit'-dryness here - rather, you feel perhaps a temperamental kinship with Shostakovich, I'd say, though Imai's discography can otherwise be a bit of a mixed bag - her Pettersson Viola Concerto suffers from a mcuh too distant sound and the work becomes bland, for example; whereas her Walton Viola Concerto on Chandos is superb.

Probably among the most important viola chamber music recordings in existence ...

(( BTW, the reviewer Dunnett on BBC seems to be of the opposite view, regarding the recording
https://www.classical-music.com/reviews/chamber/hindemith-5/ ))

vers la flamme

Anyone listening?

I listened to a bunch of the Kammermusiken today. Also heard Ludus Tonalis not too long ago with some enjoyment.