Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra

PAUL HINDEMITH (1895-1963) was one of the great German classical composers of the twentieth century. In 1940 he emigrated at the height of his fame, because of the Hitler regime and the ban on performing his works. He received an invitation to teach at Yale University and settled in New Haven. Financially secure, he continued to compose. After the end of World War II, his music began to be performed again in Germany, but he declined offers to become involved in the rebuilding of cultural life. In 1947 he travelled to Europe and conducted his own works for the first time since his exile. In the same year, back in the USA, Hindemith created the CLARINET CONCERTО commissioned by Benny Goodman, the "King of Swing". The famous jazzman's interest in the classical repertoire dated back to his studies with Franz Schoepp in Chicago. After recording works by Mozart to enrich the modern clarinet repertoire, he decided to commission famous composers to write concertos for him without any special requirements. This is how Béla Bartók created the trio Contrasts, Darius Milhaud - a concerto. Later the list of composers would include Aaron Copland, Francis Poulenc, Malcolm Arnold, among others. Goodman's advisor on the choice of composers was Viennese clarinetist Eric Simon (whom Benny worked with on his classical technique). He put him in touch with Hindemith in 1941. The War interrupted their negotiations, they were resumed after its end. When the composer finished the Clarinet Concerto, he granted Goodman the performance rights for 3 years. For unknown reasons, Goodman did not premiere the work until December 11^th , 1950 with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy. I tried to write a pleasant and very 'clarinet-like' piece for Benny that would be a joy to play and would convey his subtle and meaningful virtuosity, Hindemith remarked. The concerto is in 4 movements, written for clarinet in A (La). In the "quasi-neoclassical" style of the work, the composer did not use jazz idioms, remaining true to his creative essence. The solo part shows his exceptional knowledge of the instrument's characteristics and its wide range of expressive possibilities. The soul of the clarinet seems to be woven into the multi-layered dramaturgy, with different states of imagery and in subtle collaboration with the orchestra. Hindemith's concerto is rarely performed and remains an exceptional challenge for any musician.