In 1917, Paul Hindemith's discovery of contemporary Expressionist poetry and drama transformed him from a talented student to Germany’s leading new composer. The three symphonic movements from the opera Mathis der Maler refer to the three panels of the Isenheim Altarpiece by Renaissance painter Matthias Grünewald, but also graphically reflect Hindemith’s own artistic struggles in Nazi Germany. (Naxos)
