Paul Hindemith - Sonate für Bratsche(Viola) Solo op. 25 No. 1 (1922)(with full score)

Mov.I: Breit. Viertel 00:05 : Sehr frisch und straff. (Viertel) 02:03 : Sehr langsam 03:58 : Rasendes Zeitmaß. Wild. Tonschönheit ist Nebensache 09:33 Mov.V: Langsam, mit viel Ausdruck 11:13 Va. Gérard Caussé “Raging tempo. Wild. Beauty of tone is of secondary importance.“ The notoriety of this oft-cited performance note, attached to the fourth movement of Hindemith’s Sonata for solo viola, Op. 25/1 (1922), unfairly overshadows the real musical value of work as a whole. Far removed from the angry, nihilistic outlook suggested by the indication above, the sonata is a vigorous, virtuosic tour de force whose technical and expressive challenges are amply repaid in the stunning sonic result. Hindemith, a violist of considerable abilities, wrote the sonata largely for his own use; it remained in his repertoire for the duration of his performing career, and he made a recording of it in 1934. The first movement presents two main idea