By Damián Autorino
Editor at Moto Perpetuo
Paul Hindemith (1895–1963)
Der Schwanendreher. Konzert nach alten Volksliedern für Bratsche und kleines Orchester (1935)
Fünf Stücke für Streichorchester, Op. 44 No. 4 (1927)
Performers: Luca Ranieri, viola – Orchestra ICO Suoni del Sud – Marco Moresco, conductor
Label: Brilliant Classics –
Release: 2025
Available on all streaming platforms
This new release brings together two very different sides of Paul Hindemith. On the one hand, the Fünf Stücke für Streichorchester, Op. 44 No. 4 (1927) belong to his Weimar years, when Hindemith was shaping the clear, objective style of the Neue Sachlichkeit. These short, sharply profiled pieces show the composer’s craftsmanship at its most concise: contrapuntal, rhythmic, and designed with the pedagogical spirit of Gebrauchsmusik.
Less than a decade later, with Der Schwanendreher (1935), Hindemith was already under Nazi attack and moving toward exile. This concerto, written for his own instrument, the viola, turns to old German folk songs for inspiration. The orchestra has no violins — an unusual choice that allows the viola to step forward as the true protagonist. Here, Luca Ranieri lets the instrument sing with warmth and character, fully capturing the folkish, tuneful spirit of the score. The viola becomes both storyteller and minstrel — just as Hindemith imagined in the program note he wrote for the piece.
Ranieri is one of Italy’s leading violists. Since 1999 he has been First Viola Soloist of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra, a position that has marked his career alongside appearances at major festivals. He also combines orchestral leadership with chamber music collaborations alongside artists such as Yuri Bashmet, Martha Argerich, and Nikolaj Znaider. Joined here by the Orchestra ICO Suoni del Sud under Marco Moresco, he highlights the lyricism of the concerto while keeping its earthy vitality intact. The Fünf Stücke, performed by the orchestra alone, create a striking contrast, showcasing Hindemith’s earlier modernist voice in its purest form.
Taken together, these two works allow us to experience two key periods in Hindemith’s career: the energetic, modernist 1920s and the reflective, folk-inspired 1930s. The contrast is compelling — and the clarity of this recording brings both sides vividly to life.
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