Paul Hindemith: Sonata per arpa (1939)

Paul Hindemith (1895-1963): Sonata per arpa (1939)
I. Mäßig schnell
II. Lebhaft
III. Sehr langsam
Katerina Englichova, arpa
Cover image: painting by Isadore Michas.
*****
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[@gerardbegni2806]

HIndemith was very fond of all instruments and knew them perfectly. Here, he offers to us an approximately 11 minutes solo harp sonata which of course makes use of traditional technique but brings also expressions and techniques of its own.

[@Turanga1i1a]

Gorgeous piece indeed! I'm so glad to uncover more and more of Hindemith's work! Interesting thing here is at 7:39, that's the only time I ever heard Hindemith end a movement in a minor chord. I'm often griping how Hindemith seems to always conveniently end each piece on a major chord. In this Sonata movement, the minor chord cadence flows naturally!

[@robertwalker2052]

And the major chord is frequently in the standard Baroque 6-4 inversion, adding considerable instability. I agree it is atypical, but he has more than earned the license to go crazy once in a while.

[@Ditfrid]

I listen this again and again and every time i do, i fall in love more and more.

[@edwilliams9914]

Yes! Trying very hard to not to listen to it over and over so often that I get so over-exposed that I ruin it and never want to hear it again. (But let me play it just once more before I stop...)

[@raphaeldiasbarcellos5652]

Me too

[@edwilliams9914]

WelleszCompany, you've done it again. I had heard Hindemith before but was totally uninspired and ignored him. Hadn't been much of a harp fan either. But this piece is magic! Looking at his work (and the harp) now with fresh eyes!

[@robertfrankgill5962]

Ed Williams Years ago it's true, but almost exactly the same happened to me. Have you tried the 2nd Organ Sonata yet?

[@stueystuey1962]

hindemith is an underrated genius...his piano concerto may be better than schoenberg and bartok

[@popnocturne7909]

Wish he wrote more harp sonatas!😩

[@windsofnagual]

Love this piece!

[@eliaswendel7257]

Breathtaking!

[@Lightworker0403]

so underrated

[@tatenaibenbusi]

Beautiful

[@thierrymaindron1114]

Magnifique ...

[@gerardbegni2806]

Being basically a diatonic instrument, the harp obliges Hindemith to revisit his usual language. The result is awesome.

[@pelodelperro]

Exquisite!

[@giovannirapelli6266]

pelodelperro ee

[@wandabanterle8053]

La sonata per arpa che mi piace in assoluto

[@SW-wf3gy]

Pure joy

[@DavidA-ps1qr]

Paul Hindemith was the last "great" German composer in a very long line. Since his death in 1963 nobody from Germany has achieved. Here is another wonderful example of his masterful composition skills.

[@treesny]

Well put. And if indeed Hindemith was the last, he made a very honorable end to a great tradition.

[@lepistanuda]

Lol

[@claudiabatcke1312]

How does one define greatness? That is a very subjective opinion. People might argue that German composers like Orff, Zimmermann, Stockhausen, Henze, Lachenmann, Rihm or Widmann were/are great. If one wants to include other genres like film music or pop/rock music, one could mention Zimmer or Rammstein. Rather than mourning the end of a long tradition, I would try to be open for what is happening in the musical world now, even if one doesn't understand the music easily.

[@DavidA-ps1qr]

@@claudiabatcke1312 Great comment Claudia and you make the ultimate statement that opinions about music are "subjective". I totally agree. That's why passing them (especially on You Tube) can be a dangerous thing to do! :-)

[@abelguzmanro]

Katerina Englichova, arpa.

[@lonely270]

Does anyone know whose painting is this and what's its name? Thanks in beforehand! :)

[@stinhuffine4422]

It is Dynamic Terrestrial Stratum by Isadore Michas

[@lonely270]

Thank you very much! :)

[@sohaib7526]

Ending of the first movement haunts me to my core. Can any Hindemith buffs explain the theory behind that ending? I experience it as like a deflated plagal cadence...

[@mikelamcconkie6568]

The idea is that he was inspired to write this piece as he walked past an old stone church; he heard the ringing of the organ in the stones and mimicked it in the first movement, giving the idea of eternity or something that will last forever. The second movement reflects the children playing in the churchyard, signifying life. In the third movement, he goes inside the church and realizes it’s a funeral. The end of the first movement is a foreshadowing of the funeral movement. The piece as a whole represents the seemingly contrasting ideas of life, death, and eternity.

[@fabriziomariagarzi5534]

Anche a me.

[@reaganwiles_art]

I have listened to little more Hindemith than Gould playing piano sonatas which captivate me more than any other of Gould's repertoire except Bach. What is it about Hindemith? I don't know much about the mechanics of music, but it seems to me that Hindemith has a very distinctive sound, nobody else sounds like him; he is different. What is the difference?

[@QWERD195]

Hi, not quite a theorist myself, but I think there are several things that when combined result in such a unique sound: 1) the harmonic idiom based on fourths and fifths, which stacked one on top of another can give "modern sounding" chords and melodic line. If you look through some of his scores you will find them in almost every important phrase (theme, resolution, etc). 2) very thickly layered counterpoint that allows to exploit the said idiom to its fullest, 3) and of course his personal style of melodic language, which is recognised straight away.

[@ronwalker4849]

THE DIFFERENCE IS POLIPHONY.

[@giovanna722]

Artwork?

[@kathleenduffy-conway890]

Who's the harpist?

[@monespal1924]

someone has the score of this¿? I want to play it u.u

[@tedruncie]

IMSLP

[@penelopewhite5074]

Plus bien harmonie que Schoenberg ( j'aime quand Schoenberg a commecez, mais de quoi il est plus fameus pour atonique "musique",non)