HINDEMITH : Viola Sonatas (Lawrence Power · Simon Crawford-Phillips) (2009) Sreie The Complete Hindemith Viola Music – 1 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Paul Hindemith, one of the most productive composers of the twentieth century, had a particular affinity for his second instrument: the viola. While he wrote sonatas for virtually every orchestral instrument and beyond, his much beloved viola received more such solo compositions than any other instrument. Written across much of his career, the solo works for viola offer a glimpse into the changing personalities and techniques that occurred throughout Hindemith's output. This Hyperion album, featuring violist Lawrence Power and pianist Simon Crawford-Phillips, offers listeners selections composed between 1919 and 1938. Although the viola gets top billing in these works, Hindemith was a profoundly gifted pianist and the importance (and immense difficulty) of the piano part in his sonatas cannot be underestimated. Power and Crawford-Phillips strike a pleasing balance, always making it clear which line is meant to be predominant at any given moment. Even though the piano scores can often be quite dense and forceful, Crawford-Phillips happily does not seem to hold back; still, Power's impressively strong playing punches through. Working this hard could mean a nasal, forced sound for some violists, but not Power. Even playing fortissimo high on the A string, his tone is pleasant and warm. The dialogue maintained throughout the rhythmically complex compositions is a testament to each player's gifts and clear academic understanding of the scores. This album represents not only a fine example of viola playing, but of exemplary chamber music playing, as well. Mike D. Brownell  

Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)

1-4    Sonata (1939)    (22:52)
5-7    Sonata In F Major Op 11 No 4 (1919)    (16:28)
8-10    Sonata Op 25 No 4 (1922)    (14:23)
11    Meditation (From Nobilissima Visione, 1938) - Sehr Langsam    4:06

Viola – Lawrence Power
Piano – Simon Crawford-Phillips
Cover [Illustration: "Girls Sitting by the Water" (c.1920)] – Otto Mueller