November 7, 2022

I don’t think it’s a stretch to call Paul Hindemith’s Symphony, Mathis der Maler iconic. While it is not often performed anymore, and it may be off the radar of the lay person, musicians and enthusiasts know this piece, or at least know of it. It has a weighty presence in its standing among orchestral repertoire of the 20th century, specifically in the genre of the “symphony”. Mathis was featured on our Lansing Symphony concert Saturday night.
 
Aside from decidedly Romantic-era composers who happened to live into the 20th Century, (think Rachmaninoff, Sibelius, Vaughan Williams and a few others) not many 20th-century composers wrote works that they actually called “symphonies.” Stravinsky has a few, as do Copland, Roy Harris, William Schumann and a few others, but by and large composers were looking for other means of organizing their musical expression rather than this form which dates back to the mid 18th century. Maybe Modern composers thought the genre of the symphony was too old fashioned.
 
As someone who still wrote works called “symphony” or “sonata” Hindemith was, in a way, the Brahms of the 20th century. When others were exploring new directions in music post-Beethoven, Brahms stuck to very traditional forms and structural concepts. He was innovative, original and forward looking in his own way, but the architecture tended to the conservative. The same can be said of Hindemith.
 
So what does all this mean to the listener? At a time (the early 20th century) when musical boundaries and norms were being shattered in every direction, how does a traditionalist make an impact? In the case of Hindemith, using traditional frameworks made his non-traditional elements all the more powerful. When he stepped out expressively, it was especially prominent heard in relief to the traditional musical surroundings.
 
This all seemd to register with our audience  Saturday  whose response was most enthusiastic. Aside from just the natural reaction to a great work, I feel they also knew that hearing this work live was a rare privilege for which they clearly expressed their gratitude….much appreciated on stage!
 
I last conducted Mathis back in the 20th century, and from talking with other LSO musicians, I heard similar personal histories with the work. Most had just played it once a long time ago, if at all.  It’s one I hope to come back to again soon.
 
Saturday’s program was built around Hindemith, creating a kind of “time capsule” concert. All the works were written within 40 years of each other. Respighi’s gorgeous Suite No. 1 of Ancient Airs and Dances (1917) opened the program, leading into Hindemith (1934). After intermission Debussy’s Prelude to ‘The Afternoon of a Faun ’(1894) began the second half..another iconic work to be sure, and  Stravinsky’s Firebird (1910) brought the evening to a close. What a pleasure it was to share the stage with my LSO colleagues for this musical journey! Bravo to each of them for a spectacular performance.
 
With the holidays just around the corner, next up for me is Nutcracker with the Flint Symphony. This is a return engagement, and I’m thrilled to be coming back to this masterpiece with them. We will be in the pit, and onstage dancing will be guest artists from Collage Dance Collective and ballet students from the Flint School of Performing Arts. Can’t wait!
 
NEXT UP
 
Flint Symphony Orchestra
Guest artists from Collage Dance Collective
Dancers from Flint School of Performing Arts
The Whiting, Flint Michigan
December 3 at 7:30 p.m. and December 4 at 3:00 p.m.
 
Tchaikovsky    The Nutcracker
 
#lansingsymphony