Hindemith: Mathis der Maler (Blu-Ray) – Wolfgang Koch

Composer: Paul Hindemith
Artists: Wolfgang Koch, Kurt Streit, Manuela Uhl, Franz Grundheber, Raymond Very, Katerina Tretyakova, Martin Snell, Charles Reid, Oliver Ringelhahn, Ben Connor, Andrew Owens, Magdalena Anna Hofmann, Slovak Philharmonic Choir, Wiener Symphoniker
Conductor: Bertrand de Billy
Director: Keith Warner
Video Format: HD 16:9
Sound Format: PCM Stereo
Language: German
Subtitles: German, English, French, Japanese, Korean
Region: All Regions
Number of Discs: 1
Studio: Naxos
Blu-Ray Release Date: August 13, 2021
Run Time: 190 minutes

Hindemith conceived Mathis der Maler, his “opera in seven tableaux,” as a reimagining of Matthias Grünewald’s Isenheim Altarpiece, a depiction of Christ’s intense suffering and crucifixion. Set during the turbulence of the German Peasants’ Revolt in the early 16th century, the work’s focus is on artistic freedom of expression and human isolation during a time of plague, repression, and violence. Hindemith wrote his own libretto, finding in Grünewald a metaphor for his own times. Performances of the opera in Germany were duly banned by the Nazis.

This production was filmed at the Theater an der Wien in December 2012.

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