Paul Hindemith ： Piano Concerto

Hindemith’s Piano Concerto is distinguished by clear rhythms, intricate counterpoint, and harmonies that sound modern while retaining a strong sense of tonality. The solo piano engages in dialogue with the orchestra, at times taking on a powerful, percussive character and at other times carrying singing melodic lines. Because the expression and momentum shift from one section to another, it is important to shape each passage according to its character while maintaining an overview of the larger trajectory. Performers should keep the complex rhythms precise and bring out the work’s structure and vitality through crisp articulation and carefully controlled changes of tone. In exchanges with the orchestra, attention to register and overlapping sonorities, as well as volume, helps balance the soloist’s presence with the transparency of the ensemble.