Paul Hindemith conducts Bruckner
1958
2018
Anton Bruckner
Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR
Paul Hindemith
Tr. 1 Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 E major
This is one of the few studio radio recordings Paul Hindemith made. Hindemith’s style of music-making represents a vibrant tradition. Superbly remastered original SWR tapes. Re-release of an SWR music bestseller (94.222).
Paul Hindemith was an all-round musician. He had a near-professional command of most orchestral instruments, which naturally served as an excellent prerequisite for both composing and conducting. His prominence as a composer meant that the best and most famous orchestras were happy to play under him, which is why he regularly took to the podium with outstanding ensembles. In the studio, he always conducted his own works, recording them for labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, CBS and Decca. His work as a conductor in the concert hall and his occasional radio studio performances was much more varied, as with this recording. When we hear Hindemith conducting Bruckner in 1958, we should bear in mind that a grand master is at work, unsurpassed in contrapuntal expertise and musical invention, the product of a vibrant tradition extending from Schütz and Bach to Mozart and Beethoven, and on to Brahms and Reger. Bruckner was a high point on this route from the Baroque to his own contemporary output.