DIE VIOLINKONZERTE - Paul Hindemith

self mastered the instrument fantastically– after all, he was concertmaster of theFrankfurt Opera Orchestra at the age of19 and was later such an outstandingchamber musician and violist. In addition,one senses in every movement thegreat respect with which Hindemithplaces his work in the great tradition ofnineteenth-century violin concertos.In the theme of the firstmovement, I discover almost literalparallels to the theme of theMendelssohn Violin Concerto.The section marked “Energisch”in this movement reminds me ofthe dotted-note third theme of theBrahms Concerto. In the slow secondmovement, one also hears reminiscencesof the Brahms Concerto and naturallyalso of Beethoven. And what is completelytypical of Hindemith is the way hemodels the theme of the third movementon Lehar’s operetta “Land des Lächelns”(The Land of Smiles) and then builds itup in a powerful intensification, just ashe practiced a little later in the SymphonischeMetamorphosen nach Themenvon Carl Maria von Weber. There isalso a thrilling passage at the end of thethird movement: the orchestra plays fanfare-likesignals there, to which the violinresponds with breakneck semiquaversand double stops, similarly to theTchaikovsky Concerto. One almost feelsa little at home in Hindemith’s ViolinConcerto because one has also playedthe other pieces so often! Nonetheless, itFrank Peter Zimmermann will interpret Hindemith’sgreat Violin Concerto from the year 1939 with the HRSymphony Orchestra under the direction of its musicdirector, Paavo Järvi. Dates: 3 and 4 September 2009,Frankfurt am Main, Alte Oper.is of course a completely individual piecewhich really leaves nothing to be desired:it has unbelievably profound moments,such as in the second movement with itsmagnificent wind introduction. One canshow oneself as a violin virtuoso, for examplein the cadenza of the final movement,in which the violin can present itselfonce again, completely differently,with a new, fresh idea. I can delve intothe whole range of my sonic spectrum,and I am blown away at every perform -ance.How is the Concerto to be appraised incomparison to other violin concertos ofthe 20 th century, in your opinion?I see a line from Bach to Hindemithvery clearly, and this work, for me, is theequal of the concertos by Stravinsky, Bergand Bartók – one of the very great concertosof the 1930s. I performed it inBerlin a while ago together with theViolin Concerto of Alban Berg, and thiscomparison of the two works impressivelyshowed, on the one hand, that they areso different, but, on the other hand, thattheir close kinship cannot be denied.Does Hindemith’s chamber music playa significant role in your performingpractice?Recently I played the Sonata in C forviolin and piano, also composed in 1939,for the first time, together with my pianistEnrico Pace, who is also a great admirerof Hindemith. We had so much funwith it that we decided to play theearly Sonata in D, Op. 11 No. 2 aswell. My son recently played thevery early Sonata in E-flat, Op. 11No. 1. Actually, I have this plan atthe back of my mind to record allfour sonatas someday.Besides this, I founded a string triotwo years ago together with the violistAntoine Tamestit and the cellist ChristianPoltéra, and we have definite plans totake up both the Trio Op. 34 of 1924 andthe Second Trio of 1933 in our programme.What do your next plans with Hindemithlook like?After having often played the ViolinConcerto during the past two years, inthe USA, in Japan, at the Opera House inSydney and most recently in Düsseldorf,Stuttgart and Bonn, I shall perform itonce more in September 2009 with theHessen Radio Orchestra in Frankfurt/Main. Perhaps there will also be a recordingof the work in Helsinki – a CD pro-a rehearsal. […] So I shall listen to theViolin Concerto tomorrow evening onone of the neighbouring radios, and thatwill be enough for our modest, smalltowndemands!”15 December 1939Hindemith, who received an offer togive courses at Buffalo University startingon 29 January 1940, in addition toother engagements, becomes concretein his intention to leave Europe for theduration of the war.18 December 1939Hindemith writes to Schott Publishers:“Amsterdam was actually cancelled dueto illness […]. I have heard nothingmore from there. Maybe they are thinkingit over if I should still go there – buttime for that is now running out!”6 February 1940Paul Hindemith boards a ship in Genoawith the destination of New York, wherehe arrives on 16 February 1940. His wifeGertrud, still in Switzerland, only managesto make the journey in August onone of the last passenger ships to theUSA.27 February 1940Willy Strecker writes to Gertrud Hindemith:“On the 14th [of March] the Vi -olin Concerto should be launched inAmsterdam. I haven’t been able to findout yet if it will be broadcast.”14 March 1940Friedrich Hellman performs the worldpremiere of the Violin Concerto with theConcertgebouw Orkest under the directionof Willem Mengelberg in Amsterdam.19 March 1940Gertrud Hindemith writes to WillyStrecker: “Mengelberg drew attention tohimself with a giant telegram; it seemsto have been wonderful. I didn’t find iton the radio; hopefully they didn’tbroadcast it on some mysterious wave.There was in any case no Violin Concertoto be discovered at Hilversum.”19 April 1940Hindemith hears the American premiereof the Violin Concerto in Boston with theviolinist Richard Burgin and the BostonSymphony Orchestra under the directionof Serge Koussevitzky. He writes to hiswife: “It was a very beautiful perform -ance and a great success. Enthusiasm allround – from Koussevitzky, the violinist,the entire orchestra and the public.Pushu must hear the piece – he wouldenjoy it. It sounds beautiful and clean,and there is nothing unclear in it anymore.”SSGHindemith-Forum 19/200917