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Hindemith: Violin Concerto; Symphonic Metamorphosis; Konzertmusik / Midori, Eschenbach

Hindemith / Midori / Ndr Symphony Orchestra Release Date: 08/27/2013
Label: Ondine Catalog #: 1214-2 Spars Code: DDD
Composer:  Paul Hindemith Performer:  Midori Conductor:  Christoph Eschenbach Orchestra/Ensemble:  North German Radio Symphony Orchestra Number of Discs: 1



HINDEMITH Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes of Carl Maria von Weber 1. Violin Concerto 1. Concert Music for Strings and Brass 2 • Christoph Eschenbach, cond; Midori (vn); NDR SO • ONDINE 12142 (67:41) Live: Hamburg 1 10/24 & 26/2012; 2 12/23/2011 Read more


Symphonic Metamorphosis , written for the New York Philharmonic in 1943, was designed to exploit the technical virtuosity of that band and of American orchestras in general. It was so successful in that respect that all its finest recorded performances have been by American ensembles; even the composer with the Berlin Philharmonic could not match Szell’s Clevelanders, Ormandy’s Philadelphians, and—above all—Bernstein’s New Yorkers. Well, the NDR Symphony has broken the sound barrier: This is a sensational performance, right up there with the best. Tempos are lively, the playing crisp, and the music sizzles. There are a few moments in the opening Allegro that are so fast that the orchestra can barely manage, but that’s fine; being out there on the edge is part of the thrill. All is not perfect: There are some odd woodwind balances where one line or the other sticks out, but a sense of excitement permeates every phrase. Brilliantly recorded sound helps; we can hear more of Hindemith’s complex score than ever before. Eschenbach’s Andantino doesn’t hold together as well as Bernstein’s, but there are many beautiful details, particularly from the solo flute. To top it all off, the NDR Symphony nails the final coda as only Bernstein had done before,


This Concert Music is also very fine, although in different ways. The performance may not capture the work’s rock-like solidity as well as Steinberg’s Boston Symphony or Bernstein’s New York Philharmonic, but it makes up for that with its pure, shining brass—aided by Ondine’s clean, wide-open sound. The string playing in the Finale’s opening fugal passages is exemplary, at a ferociously fast tempo. Kudos to the NDR Symphony.


After such excellence, this performance of the 1939 Violin Concerto is a disappointment. Many critics disapproved of Hindemith’s 1962 recording with David Oistrakh; I’ve never understood why. This is a blockbuster of a Concerto; composer/conductor, soloist, and the London Symphony treat it as such, while not neglecting its many felicities. Oistrakh’s playing is athletic, beautiful, and ever so expressive; it is one of his great records. Isaac Stern and Leonard Bernstein match that performance, but Columbia/Sony’s sound from Manhattan Center doesn’t pick up the orchestra as well as Decca’s gorgeous analog stereo from a West Hampstead studio. Eschenbach’s orchestra realizes many fine details, but the work’s overall grandeur is missing. Midori’s delicate, focused playing does her honor—she is exquisite in the slow movement—but it too misses the point. Still, this is a wonderful disc, a strong candidate for Want List 2014.


FANFARE: James H. North
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