Hindemith’s Harp Sonata: Songs and Images

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German composer Paul Hindemith (1895-1963) had a deep fascination for the colors and technical capabilities of musical instruments. Principally a violinist and violist, Hindemith was proficient on numerous other instruments, including the piano, bassoon, clarinet, and cello. He composed more than forty sonatas which encompassed nearly every standard orchestral instrument. His orchestral music unfolds with a sonorous majesty. The composer considered many of the sonatas to be technical exercises, written concurrently with …

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Hindemith’s Six Chansons: An Ode to Nature, Harmony, and Community

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Composed in 1939, Paul Hindemith’s Six Chansons for a cappella choir are an ode to nature, harmony, and community. Set to French-language poems by the Austrian writer, Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926), they offer a dreamy remembrance of the music of the Renaissance and the French chanson. Brief, simple, and serene, this is music of escape. Having fled the Nazis, Hindemith was living amid the Alpine splendor of Valais, Switzerland. Months later, he …

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Haydn’s Symphony No. 87 in A Major: Festive Music for Paris

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For nearly 30 years, beginning in 1761, Franz Joseph Haydn was employed as kapellmeister at the Esterházy court. Now dubbed the “father of the symphony” as well as the string quartet, the innovative Haydn worked in the splendid isolation of the Austrian aristocratic palace. In 1779, he renegotiated his contract to allow for the sale of his music to outside patrons. Widespread fame and prestigious international commissions ensued. In 1784, Haydn received …

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Hiromi: “Pendulum”

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In a recent interview, Rick Beato called Japanese jazz musician Hiromi “the most electrifying pianist alive.” Regarding the fusion of influences which can be heard in her music, Hiromi explains, I don’t want to put a name on my music. Other people can put a name on what I do. It’s just the union of what I’ve been listening to and what I’ve been learning. It has some elements of classical music, …

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Hindemith’s “Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber”: Music of Transformation

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The word “metamorphosis” signifies a transformation from an embryonic state to maturity. Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber by Paul Hindemith (1895-1963) employs this process. The four-movement orchestral work, completed in 1943, is based on obscure music by Weber, an innovative opera composer who is credited with expanding the size and dramatic scope of the orchestra at the dawn of the Romantic period. The themes, almost completely preserved, are drawn …

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Remembering Cristian Ganicenco

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Cristian Ganicenco, principal trombonist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, has passed away. He was 58. Last Friday, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops Orchestra put out the following statement: It is with immeasurable sadness we share the passing of our Principal Trombone, Cristian Ganicenco, after a private battle with cancer. Cristian was a longtime and deeply valued member of our Orchestra. Since joining in 1999, he contributed to our mission through …

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Grieg’s Two Elegiac Melodies: From Norwegian Verse to String Choir

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In 1880, Edvard Grieg composed a cycle of songs for voice and piano (12 Melodies, Op. 33) based on the poetry of fellow Norwegian nationalist Aasmund Olavsson Vinje (1818–1870). A year later, Grieg transcribed two of the songs, The Wounded Heart (Hjertesår) and The Last Spring (Siste vår),  for string orchestra under the title, Two Elegiac Melodies, Op. 34. Divided into multiple shimmering lines, and preserving the natural rhythms of speech, the …

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