# Mathis Der Maler



## mathisdermaler (Mar 29, 2017)

How do you feel about Paul Hindemith's brilliant opera Mathis der Maler?

As an admitted opera novice, Mathis is my favorite opera. It's more "musical" than any other opera I've heard, even including Mozart's. I think it takes the grandiosity of Wagner's music without the boring recitatives (what could be better?).

The prelude:


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

What can one say after such a firm statement.....do enjoy by by all means, I stay with the real great opera writers.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Pugg said:


> What can one say after such a firm statement.....do enjoy by by all means, I stay with the real great opera writers.


I take that as you don't like Hindemith.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Sloe said:


> I take that as you don't like Hindemith.


Got in in one. ...................


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Typical - a rare thread about Hindemith (a composer who has always intrigued me) and the work in question is one of the few of his I haven't got yet...


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Actually, Wagner's operas don't have recitative . But I also admire this opera very much .


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

superhorn said:


> Actually, Wagner's operas don't have recitative . But I also admire this opera very much .


Some say they have only recitatives I say they have aria after aria or are just one big number.


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

I've only heard it once, but I'd love to spend more time with it. Same with all of his works, really.

I am more familiar with his instrumental compositions, but since his operas are more obscure I've made less progress at getting to know them. I've seen the short _Sancta Susanna_ via The Opera Platform (which I loved), plus the very short _Hin und zurück_ a few years back.

I need to see more!


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## mathisdermaler (Mar 29, 2017)

"I stay with the real great opera writers."

Spicy!

Also, I should be more clear, to me it seems more "musical," just meaning the tunes actually catch my ear. I also love the 
"real great opera writers" too, by the way 

Also, how can can you say that Hindemith isn't a "real great opera writer" after hearing that overture? The subjectivity of music never ceases to amaze me.


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## mathisdermaler (Mar 29, 2017)

Whatever... You know what I mean. the "relentlessly-talky" (don't remember who said that) bits, such as Rheingold scene 2.


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## Mark Emanuele (Nov 18, 2018)

One of my favorites! Actually, I just did a studio recording of the Symphony - Mathis Der Maler with The Omega Radio Symphony Orchestra.


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## nobilmente (Dec 18, 2018)

The Symphony extracted from the opera is superb. The opera itself, not so sure, but would be interested in seeing it live.


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## Mark Emanuele (Nov 18, 2018)

nobilmente said:


> The Symphony extracted from the opera is superb. The opera itself, not so sure, but would be interested in seeing it live.


 Actually, he finished the Symphony before he completed the Opera. Each movement of the Symphony is based on Mathis Grunewald's vivid and sometimes grotesque and bizarre Isenheim altarpiece panels. The opera tells the story of Grunewald's life and his being torn between the Lutheran and Roman Catholic Churches.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

I have still been humming and hawing over getting this work since my earlier post. The venerable old Kublik set on EMI - my preferred choice - has been off-limits price-wise for some time now. Gerd Albrecht's Wergo recording is in my radar but annoyingly there is no translation of the libretto, which leaves Simone Young's set on Oehms. Has anyone heard the Young set, and if so do they know if a libretto in English is included?


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## Mark Emanuele (Nov 18, 2018)

elgars ghost said:


> I have still been humming and hawing over getting this work since my earlier post. The venerable old Kublik set on EMI - my preferred choice - has been off-limits price-wise for some time now. Gerd Albrecht's Wergo recording is in my radar but annoyingly there is no translation of the libretto, which leaves Simone Young's set on Oehms. Has anyone heard the Young set, and if so do they know if a libretto in English is included?


There is a fairly good video of the opera on YouTube:


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Thanks for that, but YouTube eats too much into my limited data allowance. Perhaps I can watch it in fifteen minute chunks each month ha ha.


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