Hindemith + De Falla

Two records tonight (well, three if you count the Lumineers during dinner).

First, a Columbia of Ormandy & Philly performing Mathis der Maler and Symphonic Metamorphosis (MS 6562). Unfortunately, it’s a '70s pressing and not an earlier 2- or 6-eye pressing. These later pressings don’t sound great, but there are so many wonderful performances on Columbia that I still keep plenty in my library.

Mathis is such a powerful piece, conveying tremendous gravitas from the very first note. Hindemith has this unique ability to sound both ancient and modern at the same time—a duality that works well, considering the work’s inspiration: Matthias Grünewald’s medieval paintings.

Ormandy & Philly is a classic combo and one I’m usually a fan of. However, there is a thickness, richness, and depth of sound that is lacking (the pressing doesn’t help). That said, I’m quite bias toward the San Francisco Symphony recording with Blomstedt. For me, it’s the gold standard for both Mathis and Symphonic Metamorphosis—I have yet to hear another recording that tops it.

Next up: Manuel de Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain with San Francisco and Rubinstein at the keys (LSC-2430). An odd pairing with Hindemith, but I needed an audiophile record to cleanse the aural pallet and this Classic Records reissue sounds fantastic

De Falla’s music is rich with color, although hard to follow at times—the pacing from one musical idea to another occasionally feels rushed. However, it’s nice hearing Spanish music from an actual Spaniard. So much of my Spanish music diet comes from French composers. Their music isn’t entirely inauthentic, but much of it drips with an exoticism that clearly appealed to the Parisian audience at the time. De Falla was Andalusian and his Muslim-Iberian heritage shines through the score in a delightful way.