Minimax - Repertory for Military Music
Minimax - Repertory for Military Music is a string quartet composed by Paul Hindemith in 1923 . It was premiered in 1923 (the exact date is unknown) around the Donaueschinger Musiktage (but not during the festival itself) by the Amar Quartet (with the composer as violist) and lasts about 21 minutes.
History of origin
In 1921 the festival “Donaueschingen Chamber Music Performances for the Promotion of Contemporary Music” was founded under the protectorate of Prince Max Egon II of Fürstenberg in Donaueschingen. The Amar Quartet , in which Hindemith played the viola, was one of the interpreters from the start. For the anniversary of the quartet in Donaueschingen Castle, Hindemith wrote the string quartet "Minimax - Repertory for Military Music" in just two days (July 25/26, 1923), which parodies the love of military music . "Minimax" was the nickname of the newly married couple Max (Maxi) Egon Prinz zu Fürstenberg and Wilhelmine (Minzi), nee. Countess Schönberg-Glauchau.
During the First World War, Hindemith was a drummer in a military band and knew the common repertoire for the open-air concerts, where a colorful mixture of well-known melodies was presented. The six movements of the string quartet are based on melodies that were very popular at the time, although the titles of the pieces have also been changed in a humorous and subtle way. The special attraction lies in the fact that these parodied melodies are performed seriously by a classical string quartet. The Amar Quartet presented themselves with paper helmets for the premiere in 1923 and gave a military salute with their bows. The piece was only printed posthumously in 1978 by B. Schott's Sons .
The present work, an occasional composition that is one of Hindemith's parodies , was perhaps created in connection with the then ten-year existence of the "Society of Friends of Music in Donaueschingen", of which Richard Strauss was honorary president , and which among other things also organized the "chamber music performances", perhaps also on the occasion of the 60th birthday of her protector, Prince Max Egon.
“While the title on the part [in the set of parts in the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York City] of the 1st violin is 'Repertory for Military Music', it is consistently called 'Repertory for Military Orchestra' on the three remaining parts. It can be assumed that after the part for violin I had been written down, Hindemith decided on the second, final title and in a hurry forgot to correct it accordingly for violin I. A score of the work has so far not been found anywhere (not even in the composer's estate), it seems as if Hindemith wrote this composition straight from his head into the parts, which, given the style of this piece, is a master with the power of concentration Hindemiths is definitely within the realm of the possible.
The reason why this funny work remained unknown to the general public may be due to the decision of the composer, who forbade any performance of his unpublished works. "
shape
The first movement, "Army March 606 (Der Hohenfürstenberger)", parodies the Hohenfriedberger March that Frederick the Great is said to have composed and reminds of the great battle in the Second Silesian War. Hindemith's title honored the princely couple and mocked each other at the same time.
The 2nd movement, "Overture to Wasserdichter und Vogelbauer", alludes to the overture to "Dichter und Bauer" by Franz von Suppè .
In the 3rd movement, “An evening at the source of the Danube” (intermezzo for two distant trumpets), the second violinist and the violist leave their seats and play in the background - “from a distance”. In the middle of this movement, the “two distant trumpets "in a funny dialogue a" Cadenza "with motifs from well-known works by Beethoven, Wagner and others.
The 4th movement, "Löwenzähnchen an Baches Rand" (concert waltz), contains three interconnected waltzes with typical rhythms and melodies.
Inspired by the then very well-known polka for two piccolo flutes - "the two little finches" - by Henri Adrien Louis Kling is the 5th movement, "The two funny dung finches" (character piece).
In the 6th movement, “Old Carbonades ” - a march that alludes to Karl Teike's famous military march “Old Comrades” - the musicians “stumble” over all sorts of surprising time changes. The cello plays the wrong bass notes, because - as Hindemith notes in the cello part - "The 4th valve of the ' Kaiserbass ' is frozen".
literature
Erwin R. Jacobi: On Hindemith's “Minimax” composition (1923) , in: Hindemith-Jahrbuch Annales Hindemith 1973 / III , Mainz 1974, pp. 93–114
Individual evidence
- ^ The score as ED 6734, the parts as ED 6735.
- ^ Jacobi: Zu Hindemiths "Minimax" -composition , pp. 97-98
Web links
Paul Hindemith: Minimax for string quartet : sheet music and audio files in the International Music Score Library Project