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

HINDEMITH : Sonatas For Solo Viola (Lawrence Power) (2010) Serie The Complete Hindemith Viola Music – 2 | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

HINDEMITH : Music for Viola and Orchestra (Lawrence Power · BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra · David Atherton) (2010) Sreie The Complete Hindemith Viola Music – 3 | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Vol. 3 of Lawrence Power's survey of the complete Hindemith work for viola features a cluster of works written for viola and orchestra in the short time between 1927 and 1930. Though Hindemith did not write a traditional concerto in the classical sense, the Op. 48 Konzertmusik, Kammermusik No. 5, and Der Schwanendreher each put the viola's abilities at the forefront of the orchestra. His personal knowledge of the instrument's technical, lyrical, and emotive abilities become quickly apparent as the viola is made to scurry around as nimbly as a violin in Konzertmusik, as emotionally rich as a cello in Trauermusik, or as colorful and evocative as a piano in Der Schwanendreher. All of these many moods are captured effortlessly by Power. His playing balances the clarity needed to execute agile passagework with the richness and depth needed for more lyrical sections. What's more, Power never gives the appearance of trying to make the viola sound like a violin; instead, he celebrates the viola's idiosyncrasies and transforms them into a rich, satisfying tapestry of sound. Joined by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under David Atherton, Vol. 3 of Power's hefty undertaking is just as worthwhile and engaging as the previous two and is certainly worth checking out. Mike D. Brownell

Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)

1-5.    Konzertmusik Op 48    (19:51)
6-8.    Der Schwanendreher - Concerto After Old Folksongs, For Viola And Small Orchestra    (26:29
9.    I Langsam - II Ruhig Bewegt - III Lebhaft - IV Choral 'Vor Deinen Thron Tret Ich Hiermit'    7:46
10-13.    Kammermusik No 5 Op 36 No 4    (18:44)

Conductor – David Atherton
Illustration [Front: Broken Forms] – Franz Marc
Leader, Violin – Elizabeth Layton
Orchestra – BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Viola – Lawrence Power