Paul Hindemith, 1895-1963. Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber. Completed 1943, first performance January 20, 1944, in New York. Scored for 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, tympani, percussion, and strings.
In late May of 1938, a notorious exhibition was mounted in Düsseldorf by officials of the Nazi party. Entitled Entartete Musik (``Degenerate Music''), it criticized the compositions of modernist, atonal composers, especially those of Jews such as the talented Arnold Schönberg. Though he was not himself Jewish, Hindemith's works were prominently displayed to support the exhibition's motto, ``Who eats with Jews, dies of it.'' Although Hindemith had clashed with Hitler's minions repeatedly, this was the beginning of the end. In September of 1938, Hindemith and his wife Gertrud left Berlin, where they had lived for ten years, to take refuge in Switzerland.
When World War II broke out in late 1939, some of Hindemith's friends in the United States decided that he was in danger and made somewhat fictitious arrangements for him to lecture at various universities so that the American immigration authorities would permit him to enter. Hindemith accepted, and in February of 1940 arrived in what he had once called ``the land of limited impossibilities.''
For some years, Hindemith had maintained a working relationship with the ballet impresario Léonide Massine, and in early 1940 they began discussing the possibility of producing a ballet based on the music of Carl Maria von Weber. However, Hindemith discovered that Massine intended to use costumes and sets designed by Salvador Dali, whose work he detested, and Massine felt that Hindemith's drafts were ``too personal.'' A falling-out ensued, and the ballet project was dropped. The music was not lost, however, and three years later he reworked it into the Symphonic Metamorphosis, which has become one of his most popular pieces.
The ``themes'' mentioned in the title are from Weber's Piano Duet, Op. 60.4 (first movement), the Overture to Turandot (second), the Piano Duet, Op. 3.2 (third movement), and the Piano Duets, Opp. 60.2 and 60.7 (final movement). No better characterization can be given than that of the critic Olin Downes, who wrote, ``As for what Mr. Hindemith has done with the Weber themes he must take the full responsibility. He has remarked that because these are by no means the best of Weber themes, he has felt the freer to treat them as he pleases! Nothing like frankness between friends, and the wonderful Carl Maria is safely in his grave!''
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