Search - Paul Hindemith, William Steinberg, Daniel Barenboim :: Hindemith: Mathis Der Maler / Konzertmusik / Schwanendreher

One of the few great recordings by steinberg and the bso

Bruce Parker | Hoboken, NJ | 01/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I pretty much grew up with the original LP recording which contained only the first two pieces on this CD. The cover had a fantastic painting of the Temptation of Saint Anthony. The sound is crisp and clear if a little base shy, which seems to have been DG's want in the late 60s. I have never been that much of a fan of the BSO, but they really shine here, and I suspect a good portion of the credit goes to William Steinberg. He conveys both a sense of urgency and bliss to this great 20th century piece.



It's unfortunate this is the only review of this outstanding performance and recording, though I notice that another reviewer has mentioned it in passing for another Mathis der Maler recording. As well there is a glowing review on the Arkiv site. The recording of the Concert Music was mentioned by Leonard Slatkin as greatly impressing him at a young age.



If you like this recording, you should also look for Steinberg's only other recording with the BSO: Holst's the Planets and Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra, both performed at a wild and breakneck pace, and again exceptionally well-played and recorded. It too is available from Arkiv Music.



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As good in realiyt as its reputation would indicate

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 04/13/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was grateful when the lackluster Leinsdorf era ended and Willim Steinberg, a noted orchestra builder, was brought in to replace him. (An online biographical sketch of Leinsdorf comments, "He resigned the Boston post with the 1968-1969 season, happy, in his own words, to have exited with his health intact.") Since Steinberg died so soon afterward, we'll never know what he might have accomplished, but this Hindemith program is certainly a knockout. I can't think of a Leinsdorf recording that displays so much sheer excitement; the BSO was waking up from a long winter's nap. DG supplied excellent sonics for the new regime. The sound on CD is clear and vivid, if somewhat reverberant and also thin in the strings.



The Mathis der Maler symphony starts off a bit cool and shouldn't be judged by its first few minutes. Soon Steinberg catches fire, and from there on out, few rivals come close for drama and virtuosity. The Konzertmusik is, if anything, more riveting. Both readings can stand with those from Bernstein, Abbado, and Blomstedt as best in show. To fill out the timing, DG has added the viola concerto that Hindemith named "Der Schwanendreher" (translated, enigmatically, as Swan-Turner), performed by soloist Daniel Benyamini with Daniel Barenboim and the Orchestre de Paris. The LP dates from 1980 and is altogether as good as the preceding works.



The title of this high-spirited work derives from one of the four German folksongs Hindemith employed. A violist himself, he eliminates violas and violins from the orchestra so that the lone violist can stand out. In a prefatory note the composer had this to say about the work's program: "A minstrel comes into a happy gathering and reveals what he has brought with him from afar: serious and cheerful songs, finally a dance piece: with invention and skill he expands and varies the tunes like a true musician, preluding them and giving rein to his imagination"."