Hindemith composed his Viola Sonata Op. 11, No. 4 in 1919, the same year that as a performer he switched from violin to what Lionel Tertis dubbed the "Cinderella" of instruments. That year also saw the development of what would be viewed as an Expressionistic period for the composer, his music reflecting the social, economic and political turbulence of the disastrous years after the war. The Viola Sonata, however, partakes little of these radical tendencies.

In this work, one can plainly discern the influences of such composers as Reger and Debussy, as well as Brahms and, to a lesser degree, Richard Strauss, and there are (obviously) unintentional similarities to the violin sonatas of Charles Ives; but the listener will not find much that sounds like the mature Hindemith. The most unusual aspect of this work is its three-movement structure: Phantasie, Theme with Variations and Finale with Variations. The opening movement is sweetly harmonic in a way that reflects the post-Romantic sensibilities of the pre-war era, with alternating rich chords and intricate figurations from the piano and, in the viola, a marked use of grace notes and trills quite uncharacteristic of the later Hindemith.

A brief cadenza leads to the first small set of variations, in which the melody (based on the opening Phantasie) is to be played "like a folksong." The harmonic language becomes more adventurous, making use of whole-note scales and occasional, mildly dissonant polytonality. Despite the stylistic eclecticism, the writing for both instruments is assured and the course of the musical argument is always of distinct interest. The last variation of the second movement is the thematic basis of the finale, wherein declamatory chords and two-handed octaves from the piano threaten to overwhelm the viola's naturally darker tone, though emphatic writing for the stringed instrument helps it to stand up to the keyboard competition. The coda is bright and exciting.





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