Composer Paul Hindemith, perfect pianist & showman

Old fashioned revolutionist

LBy Cezary Owerkowicz

eonard Bernstein recognized him as ‘The Last Great German Classic Composer’; referring to the line of giants such as Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and Wagner. He was a true master of melody, harmony, counterpoint, rhythm, form, orchestration and everything that has to do with music. Bernstein declared that he wrote beautiful music. He was a perfect conductor, pianist and showman who had a chance to make such a statement on Paul Hindemith’s just after his death in 1963.

It happened 57 years ago; but Hindemith was born 125 years ago, in 1895. Small jubilee…? Maybe... His father was an artisan and a maid from the provincial town Hanau, 25 kilometers east of Frankfurt. His childhood was full of deprivations and very strict parentage (through ‘colossally strict drill starting at the earliest age and the most precise inspection’). The only happy time was staying at his grandparents’ house and studying violin. He showed his musical abilities from childhood. At school, he emerged as the best in his class but had to leave after completing elementary, because there was no money for further education.

Owerkowicz

Calm

However, the father – once a frustrated musician – formed from his children the ‘Frankfurt Children Trio’ performing at bourgeois household. A local journalist reported even that: ‘One truly didn’t know which of the siblings one should admire the most – the dreamy violinist (Paul), the small mercurial cellist (Rudolf) or the girl accompanying them on piano (Toni) with stoic calm.’

Besides playing violin, he was so successful that, at the age of 18, he had the first experience as an orchestral musician in Frankfurt New Theater, where he soon became a concertmaster. During holidays, he earned by playing in spa orchestras.

They played in the gardens in the constantly rainy weather. ‘Instruments were all out of tune… and then strings breaking, one per concert… For the entire summer, I spend 25 marks: 50 strings x 3 times = 150 purchases! … Apart from that was wonderful!’

For a short time in 1914, World War I broke out. His father, who was enlisted for the front bur, was killed in action in 1915. The son Paul also wanted to defend his homeland. Luckily, he was sent to the Alsace battalion military band to play bass drum. The commander was a music lover who allowed him, between battles, to form a string quartet! Towards the end of WWI in Flanders, he said: ‘survived grenade attacks only through good luck.’

When WWI and his service ended, he came back home and formed Amar Quartet. This time, he played on viola and they extensively started to tour Europe. In the 1920s, he established his reputation as an interpreter of contemporary music, and soon, as a composer.

The turning point was his appearance at the International Festival in Salzburg and Donaueschingen Fest, which he organized and where he performed Anton Webern or Arnold Schoenberg. The decade was crowned by his appointment as Professor of Berliner Music Academy. Oh, I forgot the most important: In 1924, Paul played as a concertmaster of the Opera, where he met and soon married, Gertrud. She was a singer, actress and artistic director of Frankfurt Radio. She became his accompanist on stage concerts and house evenings, as well as secretary and organizer. Until the end, they created a rarely perfect and happy pair, and even remained childless.

In 1935, Hindemith found the idea of his Opus Magnum – the work of his life and style. He was searching for something to ignite his imagination enough to create such essence. Then, he found the story of ‘Mathis der Mahler’ (like Matthew the Painter). Historically, Mathis Gruenwald (1470-1528) lived and worked since the early 16th century. The composer was strongly attracted to his painting, as well as his lifestory. Only ten paintings – several of which consisted of a few panels – and 35 drawings survived, all religious. Hindemith admired the beauty of Mathis paintings, and the deep religious faith found in them. Maybe, the more important reason had to do with Paul’s struggles with Nazi power. Mathis had also such struggles 400 years ago, between Protestant peasant and Catholic nobles, in which he became involved. This is in addition to the conflict between beauty and duty. At the time of war, crises and bloodshed; the dilemma was to take part in the battles or stay at home and paint.

It was the decade of 30s in the twentieth century in Germany – the time of growing and finally winning the power of Nazis. Hindemith was soon recognized as a ‘degenerate’ and even Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels ‘honored’ him publicly with the title of ‘atonal noisemaker’. In October 1936, Hindemith’s music was banned in the territory of the Third Reich. ‘With everything going on here, I don’t believe that we have any reason to look into musical future with concern. We just have to get through the next few weeks…’ – he wrote. ‘Paul definitely finished with the whole matter – added his wife – You know after all, that P. never acts hastily in blind passion, but that all decisions mature within him slowly but surely.’

NB: The opera ‘Matthews the Painter’ was his way of protesting, in which he resolved Matthews and his own problem. An artist is also a citizen and a fighter, just that his way of fighting is by practicing his art, creating beauty in his own way and giving proof to the truth or even leaving his country forever, as he did in 1938. The work became the flagship of his output or even ‘flag-fleet’. From orchestral section, he created also the Symphony Mathis der Mahler. Three parts were titled from Gruenwald famous Triptych Altar: Concert of Angels, The Entombment, Temptation of St Anthony crowned by Alleluia.

Paul’s exodus began by visiting Egypt once and Turkey several times. During time of Kemal Ataturk, the country tried to modernize and it became open. The way to those noble aims was led by building strong education for the young people in every field, including musical. Hindemith, Professor from Berlin with already world range acknowledgement, was a proper adviser. He helped establish Ankara State Conservatory and tried to create Theater of Opera and Ballet. However, he spoke against ‘Europeanization’ of Turkish music, insisted that Turkish Art Music must be founded on the basis of their folk music.

The first country he tried to settle in was Switzerland, but only for a short time. In 1940, he went to the States where he began to teach at the top universities such as Yale (where he established College of Music with several excellent future Americans composers), Buffalo, Cornel University, Welles Collage, and even Harvard. He also performed as a respectable conductor, specialized in presenting his own works at the top American stages.

In 1947, the composer was awarded US citizenship, but finally he decided to come back to Europe and settled in Zurich, Swiss. There he was also a Professor at the University. From there, he travelled to conduct his concerts and record his works. As you noticed, he never considered to settle back in Germany. However, when he suddenly collapsed in 1963, he was taken to… native Frankfurt and died there.

As it is with many eminent figures in many fields in his young hood, he was attacked as a Revolutionary, even ‘Bolshevik’ (sic!) because he liked to develop music, to tune it to new era. (As we know from history, ‘new’ doesn’t guarantee ‘the good’ or – better!) At the same time, he was attacked from the other side of the barricade as ‘old-fashioned’ (if not so horribly as ‘ a conservative’). Yes, really.

Then, who was he? What was new and what was old in his expression? He resisted the trend implemented by Arnold Schoenberg and his 12-tone system. (Obligatory, you must start from using 12 notes of chromatic scale in any order.) Even Schoenberg and Webern were talented composers and some of their works were impressive and expressive; there was very speculative, then restrictive, speculative. Hindemith refused it. He wouldn’t like to be limited to any cage somehow closing the tract we walk through.

His Etudes are like Bach’s invention to practice fingers and teach counterpoint, interesting way. His Sonata is like Haydn or Mozart, with lovely tunes. What is strange? Relations between tune and accompaniment which use cross notes, chords or basso continuo just e.g. in scale half-of tone lower. It makes him a continuator of tradition but Haydn appears in new suit.

Somebody said all the time that humans perform the same plays, only costumes and decorations are changing, and maybe, it is the best and shortest description of Hindemith’s secret. When I noticed, also thanks to such people as Bernstein, I began to understand and like him.

Editor’s

History

Note:

Cezary Owerkowicz is the chairman of the Kuwait Chamber of Philharmonia and talented pianist. He regularly organises concerts by well-known musicians for the benefit of music lovers and to widen the knowledge of music in Kuwait. His email address is: cowerkowicz @ yahoo.com and cowerkowicz@ hotmail.com