program notes by composition > M > March from “Symphonic Metamorphosis”
March from “Symphonic Metamorphosis”
Paul Hindemith/trans. Keith Wilson
March from “Symphonic Metamorphosis” Paul Hindemith (1895 - 1963) was born at Hanau, Germany. He was an excellent violinist and leader of the Frankfurt Opera Orchestra. He was persecuted by the Nazis because his wife was half-Jewish and his own musical compositions were considered degenerate. He emigrated to the U.S. and joined the music faculty of Yale University.
Hindemith began to write a ballet based on the music of German composer Carl Maria von Weber but after a falling out with his collaborator he converted his sketch- es into an orchestral work. March , the fourth movement, opens with fanfares. Weber’s original theme is a funeral march to which Hindemith doubles the tempo. March has a catchy tune and grows increasingly spectacular, ending fortissimo.
Last updated on April 30, 2014 by Palatine Concert Band