From the
1930’s on, he was more of a serious composer, and used forms including the canon
(which is a round – the same melody, with 3 or more sections starting at
different times), variation, suite, fugue, and the sonata. These styles were all
popular forms during the Baroque and Classical Eras. His last completed piece
was simply entitled Mass. It was a liturgical Mass, for mixed chorus acappella.
The world premiere of the Mass was in Vienna on November 12, 1963. Listening to
it, you can tell what was going on in his life by its tone. One can’t help
Heppner - 4 but feel his pain and knowing that his health was beginning to fail
him. Four days later he became seriously ill and never recovered, dying on
December 28. 1963. I will admit that the first time I heard his music, my
initial reaction was “what is that noise?” Now after studying music intensely, I
realize that he was a genius. A new explorer if you will. He was willing to be
daring and different to get a reaction from people. He wasn’t like composers
before him. Mozart for example was an employee, per say, of the Roman Catholic
Church. Composers in the past usually wrote what their employer wanted to hear.
Paul Hindemith was one of the first who wasn’t scared to write for his
enjoyment, not caring whether or not someone would pay him for his work. Isn’t
that the same as music artists today? Music still keeps pushing and pushing just
seeing how much people can take. Hindemith was a rebel, but it’s the rebels who
are willing to take chances on things they believe in. Hindemith once wrote:
“Music, as long as it exists, will always take its departure from the major
triad and return to it.
The musician cannot escape it any more than the painter
his primary colors, or the architect his three dimensions.” That speaks for
itself. The terminology maybe a little unclear to those who aren’t too familiar
with music, but his analogy of the painter makes it perfectly clear. Whether the
listener likes the music or not is irrelevant. It’s the way a composer thinks.
His music is how he speaks, just as an artist speaks through his brush. No
matter what composer you look at, what is going on in his life at the time of
his piece is usually evident. Notes to a composer are words to an author. One
can study Heppner - 5 his works, play them, and even make a determination as to
whether or not they like it, but no one except the composer knows what’s going
on in their head. That may be a good thing, it may not, but that’s one of the
mysteries of music.
Bibliography
1. Arnold, C. Paul Hindemith. Web Page found at http://www.emory.edu/Music/Arnold/hindemith_content.html.
2. Hindley, Geoffrey. The Larousse Encyclopedia of Music. Scarborough, North
Yorkshire. Reed International Books, 1971, reprinted 1994, p. 371-372, 406-407.
3. Kemp, Ian. Hindemith. New York, Toronto. Oxford University Press, 1970, p 12,
14-16, 20, 29. 4. Lampson, L.D. Paul Hindemith. Classical Net, 1995-1998. Web
page found at http://www.classical.net/music/lomp.1st/hindmith.html 5. Neumeyer,
David. The Music of Paul Hindemith. New Haven, Connecticut. Yale University
Press, 1986, p 5, 26, 43-45, 140, 165, 190-192, 254-283. 6. Strobel, Heinrich.
Paul Hindemith: A Testimony in Pictures. Germany. B. Schott’s Sohne and Mainz,
1961, p 7-11.
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