Symphony "Die Harmonie der Welt" - Paul Hindemith

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yan Pascal Tortelier.

I - Musica instrumentalis. Breit (𝅘𝅥 = 66) - Marsch. Gewichtig (𝅘𝅥 = 104) - Breit ausdruckwoll - Schnell, laut und brutal - Ein wenig breiter - Ruhig - Sehr ruhig - Im früheren Marschtempo: 0:00
II - Musica humana. Sehr getragen (𝅘𝅥𝅮 = 54) - ruhig, mit elegischem Ausdruck - fließend und allmählich vorangehen -Breit - Wie am Anfang - Ruhig bewegt, wie ein wehmütiger Tanz, der aus der Ferne erlingt (𝅘𝅥 = 88): 10:43
III - Musica mundana. Sehr breit (𝅗𝅥 = 40) - Passacaglia: Ruhig bewegt (𝅘𝅥. = 69) - Immer fließend - Ein wenig breiter - Rezitantiv, frei (𝅘𝅥𝅮 = 80) - Ruhig, sehr langsam - Langsam, geheimsvoll und zielich (𝅘𝅥𝅮 = 63) - Ruhig - Mäßig schnell, gewichtig (𝅗𝅥 = 92-100) - Gewichtig - Ein wenig breiter - Erregt - Etwas breiter - Noch etwas breiter - Sehr breit - Tenuto/verbreitern - Im Zeitmäß: 20:27

Hindemith's Symphony "Die Harmonie der Welt" (The Harmony of the World) was composed in 1951, being commissioned by Swiss conductor and patron Paul Sacher to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Basel Chamber Orchestra. It was premiered in Basel by said orchestra and conductor on January 25 of 1952. It was exceedingly well-received; Wilhelm Furtwängler immediately adopted the symphony into his repertoire. The symphony would serve as the basis for the 1955-7 opera of the same name, a similar procedure as with the 1933-4 "Mathis der Maler" Symphony.

Hindemith started thinking of writing an opera about Kepler in 1939, and he kept mentioning the project in his letters. He probably used sketches and materials from the projected opera into the symphony. Hindemith was fascinated with the life and work of astronomer Johannes Kepler, and the title is a German translation of Kepler's "Harmonices Mundi" (1619), famous for explaining Kepler's Third Law of Planetary Motion. In this book, Kepler also explored theories of physical harmonies in the movement of the planets and provided a scientific explanation for the idea of the Harmony of the Spheres. Kepler would end up being excommunicated by the Lutheran church.

Hindemith was particularly interested in the mystical side of these theories, and by how well they matched with his own musical system. Divided in three movements, the Latin titles are based on Boethius's writings on music and arithmetic, especially his five-volume "Fundamentals of Music", which provide a good overview of ancient music theory in its practical as well as speculative dimensions. For Boethius there were three kinds of music: the music made by instrumentalists and singers, the harmony between the human body and soul, and the consonance that reigns in the whole divinely created world. For this reason, the movements are not based upon dramatic events taking place in the opera, but rather the different ways in which mankind can experience universal consonance.

The first movement is structured in sonata form, with sections being reused in the overture and several scenes of the opera. It begins with an introduction compose of a loud bang, swirling strings and an imposing theme on trumpets and trombones, then woods and strings before returning to the brass in a massive climax. The main allegro starts with a main theme in form of a march, with added counterpoint later on. It is followed by a more melodic second theme, after with comes a more rhythmic and playful third one. The developmental section begins in fast 3/8 time, and consists of a double fugato. The recapitulation then brings back the material amid increasing dynamic and orchestral intensification. All the themes (including the introduction) appear on the final coda, ending the movement with furious thunder.

The second movement is rather free in form, with the music being reused in act II of the opera. It opens with a solemn and expressive main theme on strings and trombones, characterized by its dotted rhythms. The clarinet then exposes a melancholic second theme, soon unfolded in a flowing counterpoint that leads to a powerful polytonal climax. Both themes are soon combined in a contrapuntal development, with the trombones presenting the first and the solo flute the second. A magical coda for strings and percussion transforms the first theme into a wistful dance, like a distantly recalled memory.

[Musical analysis continued in the comments section].

Picture: Geocentric celestial spheres from Peter Apian's "Cosmographia" (Antwerp, 1539).

Musical analysis partially written by myself. Sources: https://tinyurl.com/ymum6jzr, https://tinyurl.com/ym6k6jjk, https://tinyurl.com/yv2qplx7 and https://tinyurl.com/yq9xzd59

To check the score: https://tinyurl.com/yku3qal2

Видео Symphony "Die Harmonie der Welt" - Paul Hindemith канала Sergio Cánovas