Origins & Early Life

Paul Hindemith ( POWL HIN-də-mit; German: [ˌpaʊ̯l ˈhɪndəmɪt] ; 16 November 1895 – 28 December 1963) was a German and American composer, music theorist, teacher, violist, and conductor. He founded the Amar Quartet in 1921, touring extensively in Europe. As a composer, he became a major advocate of the Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) style of music in the 1920s, with compositions such as Kammermusik, including works with viola and viola d'amore as solo instruments in a neo-Bachian spirit. His other notable compositions include the song cycle Das Marienleben (1923), Der Schwanendreher for viola and orchestra (1935), the opera Mathis der Maler (1938) and the symphony Mathis der Maler (1934), the Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber (1943), and the oratorio When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd (1946), a requiem based on Walt Whitman's poem.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Hindemith and his wife emigrated to Switzerland and the United States ahead of World War II, after worsening difficulties with the Nazi German regime. In his later years, he conducted and recorded much of his own music. Most of Hindemith's compositions are anchored by a foundational tone, and use musical forms and counterpoint...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aleksandr Vasilevsky — Contemporary (Born in 1895) (1895): A pivotal Soviet general who commanded forces during WWII and served as Minister of Defense.
• Anna Freud — Contemporary (Born in 1895) (1895): Pioneering psychoanalyst known for child psychology and ego theory.
• Arthur Cayley — Contemporary (Died in 1895) (1895): Pioneering English mathematician, instrumental in founding modern algebra and group theory.
• Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke — Contemporary (Died in 1963) (1963): British Field Marshal and Chief of the Imperial General Staff during WWII.
• Aldous Huxley — Contemporary (Died in 1963) (1963): English writer and philosopher known for social satire and mystical explorations.
• Brad Pitt — Contemporary (Born in 1963) (1963): Esteemed American actor and producer with a career spanning over three decades.
• Alan Watts — Shared historical date (11-16 · Died) (1973): Philosopher and lecturer popularizing Eastern thought for the West.
• Carl von Clausewitz — Shared historical date (11-16 · Died) (1831): Prussian military theorist whose work, On War, shaped modern strategic thought.
• Amos Oz — Shared historical date (12-28 · Died) (2018): Pioneering Israeli novelist, journalist, and intellectual whose works explored Palestinian life.
• Ante Pavelić — Shared historical date (12-28 · Died) (1959): Croatian politician and dictator of the Independent State of Croatia (1941-1945)
• 1895 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1895
• November 16 (11-16) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on November 16
• 1963 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1963
• December 28 (12-28) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on December 28