# 20th Century Operatic Masterpieces: Part Ten - Hindemith's Mathis der Maler



## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

20th Century Operatic Masterpieces: Part Ten - Hindemith's _Mathis der Maler_



















Mathis der Maler is an opera in seven scenes and also a symphony. Hindemith began writing the opera in 1933, publishing the symphonic version consisting of parts of the opera in 1934. The opera itself was not completed until 1935. The piece was inspired by the work of the Renaissance painter Matthias Grünewald. Hindemith was moved by Grünewald's religious works, specifically the Isenheim Altarpiece, the Karlsruhe Crucifixion, and the Stuppach Madonna. Hindemith himself wrote the libretto for the opera, creating a personality for Grünewald out of his own imagination. While the opera ostensibly takes place in the Renaissance, it is really a strongly autobiographical work: the opera's principle idea, the artist struggling with his conscience and questioning the political and social responsibilities of art and the artist, reflected Hindemith's own difficult personal and artistic circumstances in pre-war Nazi Germany in the 1930s. In fact, though the symphonic version of Mathis der Maler was performed in Germany, Hindemith's opera was banned by the Nazis and would not receive its premiere until 1938 in Zurich. Like Hindemith, the character Matthias is faced with the question of art in the time of political unrest. His response and Hindemith's is the same: "do what you must in all conscience, despite competing demands on you."

The libretto describes Matthias' struggle with his employer, the archbishop of Mainz. Matthias is the socially conscious artist, while the archbishop is a politician. Their story is set against the background of the Peasant's War of 1524 - 1525, in which Matthias takes part on the side of the peasants. The conflict between Matthias and the archbishop is intensified when Ursula, who loves Matthias, is forced to wed the archbishop for political reasons.

Musically, Hindemith's opera represents a blending of two different styles, the so-called "new objectivity" or neo-classicism of the 1920s, with historical music. Hindemith spent much of his compositional career seeking to reconcile these two musical streams, and in Mathis der Maler comes very close to a perfect synthesis. In the opera, Hindemith's neo-classicism is tempered by the inclusion of folk song, Reformation era religious song, and Gregorian chant. Also significant is the use of "harmonic fluctuation," the progression of consonant chords towards increasingly dissonant combinations.

It is ironic that Hindemith's great opera should have been banned by the Nazis, for as Hindemith's friend Willy Schreker recounted, Mathis der Maler was originally intended as a quintessentially German opera: "the theme," wrote Schreker, "is big and German." Grünewald represented, to Hindemith, the great German artist "who went his own way despite being misunderstood, and resisted the foreign influence of the Italian Renaissance." Unfortunately, Hindemith's enemies in the Reichsmusikkammer prohibited the performance of his work, and as Hitler himself was said to dislike Hindemith's music, the Nazi regime eventually turned against the composer.

[Article taken from All Music Guide]

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Such a fantastic opera! I knew this work previously only through the symphonic arrangement, but the opera itself is one of Hindemith's greatest works in the medium, IMHO. What do you guys think of this work? My reference recording is Kubelik on EMI --- he still holds up incredibly well all these years later.


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## Haydn70 (Jan 8, 2017)

I am a devotee of Hindemith and would love to see this opera. It is rarely staged.

Here is the one YouTube video of the complete opera...the quality is not good, but it is better than nothing:


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Haydn70 said:


> I am a devotee of Hindemith and would love to see this opera. It is rarely staged.
> 
> Here is the one YouTube video of the complete opera...the quality is not good, but it is better than nothing:


I'll stick with the Kubelik recoridng.


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## Haydn70 (Jan 8, 2017)

Neo Romanza said:


> I'll stick with the Kubelik recoridng.


I have no doubt it is better musically. I just thought this video would be somewhat useful for the visual aspects, especially Scene 6 where Mathis is beset by tempters. Projections of Grünewald's paintings are used.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Haydn70 said:


> I have no doubt it is better musically. I just thought this video would be somewhat useful for the visual aspects.


This may sound like blasphemy, but I generally have no interest in the visual aspect of opera (ballet either for that matter). I only care about the music, but in the case of opera or ballet, I do like to having an idea of the narrative, so sometimes I'll follow along with the libretto or in ballet, I'll read a synopsis about the work in question.


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## allaroundmusicenthusiast (Jun 3, 2020)

Neo Romanza said:


> This may sound like blasphemy, but I generally have no interest in the visual aspect of opera (ballet either for that matter). I only care about the music, but in the case of opera or ballet, I do like to having an idea of the narrative, so sometimes I'll follow along with the libretto or in ballet, I'll read a synopsis about the work in question.


I kind of agree with you too. If I'm at home, I would never watch a video recording of an opera, only sound, same with ballet as you say. So for me, that's not blasphemous at all, but if it is, we'll burn in hell together


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

I spent some time with the Kubelik recording and quite liked the work. But that was decades ago now so perhaps I should take another listen to the work. Meanwhile, I bridle a little as a description of the symphony as a (mere) "symphonic arrangement"! I suppose that's more or less what it is but it is also, for me, one of the greatest 20th century symphonies.


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## Neo Romanza (May 7, 2013)

Enthusiast said:


> I spent some time with the Kubelik recording and quite liked the work. But that was decades ago now so perhaps I should take another listen to the work. Meanwhile, I bridle a little as a description of the symphony as a (mere) "symphonic arrangement"! I suppose that's more or less what it is but it is also, for me, one of the greatest 20th century symphonies.


_Symphony Mathis der Maler_ is fantastic, but it _is_ a symphonic arrangement. Anyway, I'm not talking disparagingly about it, just pointing out what it is.


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