| Re: Hindermith
A tres cool piece, the Hindemith, and for this Vulgano, even prophetic. The following pictures come to mind.
1st mvmt. Early Nazis: marching, building roads, growing the economy, making the streets safe. A couple of unsettling moments -- first this little fanfare (what, war?) and then later, the minor thirds of emergency vehicles, air-raid sirens and what not.
2nd mvmt. Naiveté, faked or real. Cabaret, everything's "fine." A movement lacking "substance." A parody of French salon music for cornet.
3rd mvmt. Trauermusik. (grief music) Wow! Grief, anger, exhaustion and hollow resignation all mixed together at once. Extreme dynamics, better stated perhaps as EXTREME DYNAMICS. If it distorts, fine -- it should. Lots of sighs. Time should stand still. Read the beginning of C.S. Lewis' A Grief Observed for some good insights.
4th mvmt. Alle menschen mussen sterben. Does this mean "all men must die" or "all mankind must die?" Check the lyrics. Is the trumpet painting or protesting the text?
Add question marks to all my statements, because the Hindemith is so personal. This is the stuff I hear in my head, and try to convey.
And, yeah, if we just play the notes it is a stupid piece.
viel Spass!
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