Slovak Philharmonic Choir Wiener Symphoniker De Billy - Mathis Der Maler - BLU-RAY

Hindemith conceived Mathis der Maler, his 'opera in seven tableaux', as a reimagining of Matthias Grünewald's Isenheim Altarpiece, a depiction of Christ's intense suffering and crucifixion. Set during the turbulence of the German Peasants' revolt in the early 16th century, the work's focus is on artistic freedom of expression and human isolation during a time of plague, repression and violence. Hindemith wrote his own libretto finding in Grünewald a metaphor for his own times. Performances of the opera in Germany were duly banned by the Nazis.

Mathis der Maler is the central composition of Paul Hindemith's output for music theater. The reception began with it's successful premiere of a symphony of three orchestral parts from the opera, in March of 1934 in Berlin. That was still before the composer was attacked in the National-Socialist press which prompted a defense of Furtwängler's in a newspaper article titled InchThe Hindemith CaseInch. The opera wasn't premiered until May 1938, in Zurich, where the Hindemith's had emigrated to, before moving on to the United States. Much as Mathis, who found his political engagement in the Peasant's War and his calling to paint solely for the glory of God to collide with the expectation to positions himself on religious matters during the Reformation, Hindemith found himself torn between his refusal to propagate for the Nazis, his urge to follow his inner voice, and the demand that he position himself against the regime. These highly acclaimed performances from 2012 at Theater an der Wien with Opera Star Roland Koch in the title role is finally now available as an album .

When Brahms composed his InchGerman RequiemInch, he thought little of the salvation of the deceased. With his music, Brahms wanted to give comfort to the bereaved, so he decided against the usual Latin text of the Roman Catholic Church and chose German texts from Luther's Bible instead. Nevertheless, or precisely because of this, the work thrilled the audience and made it a triumphant success for Brahms. In this performance Christian Thielemann, doubtless one of the leading conductors for the romantic symphonic music, at the podium of the Wiener Philharmoniker, together with the Wiener Singverein, the choir that first performed the first three movements of the Requiem in December 1867, and a duo of outstanding singers, Inchconjures unforgettable momentsInch (BR Klassik). Soloists of the evening were French-Danish soprano Elsa Dreisig (InchdelicateInch, Der Standard) and German baritone Michael Volle. Thielemann's Inchdifferentiated conception finds a harmonious balance between intimacy and archaic moments and transports Brahms's core message of consolation to the audience's delight in an immediate way.Inch (Salzburger Nachrichten)InchA musical highlightInch (Kurier)InchBeautiful to cryInch (BR Klassik)