Sonata No. 4 for solo viola, Op.31, by Paul Hindemith
Published by Schott
Both as violist and composer, Paul Hindemith (1895-1963) was thoroughly involved with contemporary music--he was a leading exponent of New Objectivity and neoclassical styles, and was much in demand as a soloist, premiering, among other works, Walton's Viola Concerto. During the rise of fascism in Germany, he emigrated to the United States, where he became a much-respected pedagogue.
Hindemith has a strong musical legacy for string players, with several concertos and many more sonatas and other chamber music to his name. His Op.31 collection from 1923-24 contains a sonatina for two flute, two solo violin sonatas, and this No. 4, a solo viola sonata. It displays both the severity and freedom of his developing neoclassical style. A moto perpetuo and a lied precede a huge finale movement, a set of variations on a medieval-like theme that anticipates ''Der Schwanendreher'' of a decade later. Advanced level, Grade 6.
