Hindemith: Violin Concerto; Symphonic Metamorphosis; Konzertmusik

To commemorate the death of Hindemith 50 years ago, Ondine presents a stunning new release featuring Midori, the NDR Symphony Orchestra and Christoph Eschenbach. The Violin Concerto clearly demonstrates Hindemith’s experience as an orchestral musician and soloist – he proves to be a connoisseur of the tonal possibilities of the instrument and pushes the soloist to extraordinary lengths.

Coupled with the violin concerto are two of Hindemith’s most successful orchestral works.

Midori is recognized as an extraordinary artistic personality, making her first debut performance at the age of 11 with the New York Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta.

The NDR Symphony Orchestra has had an impressive run of previous conductors including Christoph Eschenbach, who recently completed a sell-out tour with the Vienna Philharmonic.

Composer: Paul Hindemith
Performer: Midori
Conductor: Christoph Eschenbach
Orchestra/Ensemble: North German Radio Symphony Orchestra

Reviews: Symphonic Metamorphosis , written for the New York Philharmonic in 1943, was designed to exploit the technical virtuosity of that band and of American orchestras in general. It was so successful in that respect that all its finest recorded performances have been by American ensembles; even the composer with the Berlin Philharmonic could not match Szell’s Clevelanders, Ormandy’s Philadelphians, and—above all—Bernstein’s New Yorkers. Well, the NDR Symphony has broken the sound barrier: This is a sensational performance, right up there with the best. Tempos are lively, the playing crisp, and the music sizzles. There are a few moments in the opening Allegro that are so fast that the orchestra can barely manage, but that’s fine; being out there on the edge is part of the thrill. All is not perfect: There are some odd woodwind balances where one line or the other sticks out, but a sense of excitement permeates every phrase. Brilliantly recorded sound helps; we can hear more of Hindemith’s complex score than ever before. Eschenbach’s Andantino doesn’t hold together as well as Bernstein’s, but there are many beautiful details, particularly from the solo flute. To top it all off, the NDR Symphony nails the final coda as only Bernstein had done before,

This Concert Music is also very fine, although in different ways. The performance may not capture the work’s rock-like solidity as well as Steinberg’s Boston Symphony or Bernstein’s New York Philharmonic, but it makes up for that with its pure, shining brass—aided by Ondine’s clean, wide-open sound. The string playing in the Finale’s opening fugal passages is exemplary, at a ferociously fast tempo. Kudos to the NDR Symphony.

After such excellence, this performance of the 1939 Violin Concerto is a disappointment. Many critics disapproved of Hindemith’s 1962 recording with David Oistrakh; I’ve never understood why. This is a blockbuster of a Concerto; composer/conductor, soloist, and the London Symphony treat it as such, while not neglecting its many felicities. Oistrakh’s playing is athletic, beautiful, and ever so expressive; it is one of his great records. Isaac Stern and Leonard Bernstein match that performance, but Columbia/Sony’s sound from Manhattan Center doesn’t pick up the orchestra as well as Decca’s gorgeous analog stereo from a West Hampstead studio. Eschenbach’s orchestra realizes many fine details, but the work’s overall grandeur is missing. Midori’s delicate, focused playing does her honor—she is exquisite in the slow movement—but it too misses the point. Still, this is a wonderful disc, a strong candidate for Want List 2014.

Tracklisting:

1. Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber by Paul Hindemith
Conductor: Christoph Eschenbach
Orchestra/Ensemble: North German Radio Symphony Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1943; USA

2. Konzertmusik for Brass and Strings, Op. 50 by Paul Hindemith
Conductor: Christoph Eschenbach
Orchestra/Ensemble: North German Radio Symphony Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1930; Germany

3. Concerto for Violin by Paul Hindemith
Performer: Midori (Violin)
Conductor: Christoph Eschenbach
Orchestra/Ensemble: North German Radio Symphony Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1939; Switzerland

EAC

Exact Audio Copy V1.0 beta 3 from 29. August 2011

EAC extraction logfile from 13. May 2014, 15:35

NDR, Midori, Eschenbach / Hindemith: Violinkonzert; Symphonic Metamorphosis; Konzertmusik

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==== Log checksum 6BCE65BA177313FF46B6822BFD60C7110BB84B59275197906D23A4DAE6DBAA93 ====

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Hindemith: Violin Concerto; Symphonic Metamorphosis; Konzertmusik - Midori, Eschenbach (2013)