Paul Hindemith: Ludus tonalis: Piano: Instrumental Work

Studies in Counterpoint Tonal Organisation and Piano Playing-Th cycle of fugues is introduced and concluded by a Praeludium and Postludium the second formed by turning the Praeludium upside down and reading it backwards. In solving technical problems he posed himself Hindemith created not a dry exercise but a work of considerable imagination. Intellectual achievement and sheer delight in playing are shown not to be mutually exclusive. The Ludus is a graphc example of the composer's delight in the fantastic offered to his wife born under the sign of Leo as a birthday present. He illustrated the work with colored pencil among other things drawing a lion for each entry of the subject of the fugues and for each of the twelve adifferent kind of lion according to the character of the music originally published in a limited edition but providing an instructive formal analysis of the music.