The Penderec Ensemble Concert

Author: Sun Jia
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: Paul Hindemith was widely recognized as the most important German composer of his generation in the 1920s. He first gained prominence with his two one-act operas—Murder, the Hope of Women (Op. 12) and Nuss-Nuss (Op. 20). These operas, premiered together in Stuttgart on June 4, 1921, became a "sensational success." His String Quartet (Op. 16) was premiered on August 1, 1921, at the "Donau-Echingen Chamber Music Concerts for the Promotion of Contemporary Music," further consolidating his recently earned reputation. The following year, in works such as Chamber Music, Op. 24a (which not only quotes a foxtrot in the final movement but is nearly drowned out by the sound of a steam whistle) or the chaotic Suite of 1922 for piano, Hindemith's music began to exhibit the typical characteristics of "neopraxis," which would gradually become the dominant style in German musical composition. Additionally, Hindemith gained widespread attention as a violist and as a member of the Amadeus Quartet.