Search - Paul Hindemith, Werner Andreas Albert, SWR Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra :: Hindemith: Complete Orchestral Works, Vol. 3 (Box Set)

Great collection for a great project

Michael Suh | 04/08/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This box set contains mostly the wind, violin, viola, and organ concertos that Hindemith wrote. Most of these works are hard to find on disc, especially the organ works. The Violin Concerto soloist Dene Olding is a little weak, and the orchestra at times empahsizes this by showing a full force that Olding simply can't match. I find the wind concertos to be tedious and not very interesting. But the Kammermusik are uniformly excellent. The viola works are fine, as well. I thought the Trauermusik was especially good, heartrending when it needed to be, contemplative in the best sense of the word. Albert's conducting throughout is solid and sure, but it's a shame that not all of Hindemith's music is equally good. No conducting can save the clunkers from themselves (like the mediocre Clarinet Concerto), but for the price, it's a set definitely worth exploring."