curtain call of cast of Mathis der Maler, Opera National de Paris, Bastille, Paris, France
Image details
Contributor:
B.O'Kane / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
BXHHDCFile size:
49.8 MB (1.3 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
5111 x 3408 px | 43.3 x 28.9 cm | 17 x 11.4 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
3 December 2010Location:
Opera National de Paris, Bastille, Paris, FranceMore information:
At this performance the conductor was Christoph Eschenbach; the role of Mathis was performed by Matthias Goerne. Mathis der Maler (Matthias the Painter) is an opera by Paul Hindemith. The libretto is also by the composer. The opera's genesis lay in Hindemith's interest in the Protestant Reformation. The work's protagonist, Matthias Grünewald, was an actual historical figure who flourished in that era, and whose art, in particular the Isenheim Altarpiece, was an inspiration to many creative figures living in the early 20th century. Hindemith wrote the libretto himself, though at the beginning (around 1932) he had considered working with Gottfried Benn. The finishing touches were completed in 1935, by which time performances in Germany had become problematic; nevertheless, for several years Hindemith attempted to secure a performance in Nazi Germany, where he was still living until 1938. The action, set during the German Peasants' War (1524-25), concerns Matthias's struggle for artistic expression in the repressive climate of his day and is clearly a mirror of Hindemith's own life as the Nazis came to power.