Paul Hindemith fans with good libraries of his music don't bother reading
further: just trash this item about some Hindemith gems now available at
Berkshire.  (Yes, _both_ of you.)

Hindemith's 2-CD set from EMI's outstanding "Composers in Person" series
(EMI Classics ZDCB 5 55032 2) includes one Symphony (Sinfonia serena),
three concerti (for Horn, for Clarinet, Music for Brass and Strings, Op
50), an orchestral suite (from Nobilissima visione) and three chamber
pieces (Solo Viola Sonata, op 25 #1; Scherzo for Viola & Cello; and
String Trio #2).  It's 156+ minutes of fine music with the composer
conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra and playing the viola on the three
chamber pieces.

Aside from his merits as one of the century's great composers, Hindemith
was a gifted conductor and violist; it shows on these recordings.  What's
also evident is the bad rap he's gotten over the years for music that's
supposedly academic and emotionally withdrawn.  I continue to discover that
it's anything but: these recordings attest not just to a fine craftsman
but to a robust passion and plenty of emotional colour.

It must be said that these are vintage recordings: for one, the chamber
pieces are all pre-stereo.  The remastering for these CDs has led to sound
that's sometimes only fair, occasionally only good, but usually very good.

Other than that minor quibble, this album is most enthusiastically
recommended, and independently of its price.  My inexpensive copy came
from the Berkshire Record Outlet:

  http://www.berkshirerecoutlet.com/

(Disclaimers are in effect as to having no stock in the company, etc.)

Bert Bailey