Mathis der Maler

opera by Hindemith

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June 30, 2026

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Mathis der Maler is an opera by German composer Paul Hindemith, created between 1934 and 1935. The opera's subject is the life of the 16th-century German painter Matthias Grünewald, who is also known as Mathis Gothardt Neithardt. The opera depicts Grünewald's struggles with society and his artistic integrity during the German Peasants' War. Hindemith also composed an orchestral suite from the opera, which premiered in 1934. The opera itself premiered in 1938 in Zurich, Switzerland, after being banned in Nazi Germany.1

Matthias Grünewald was a prominent German painter known for his intensely expressive religious works, such as the Isenheim Altarpiece. The opera Mathis der Maler explores the conflict between artistic creation and societal demands, reflecting the turbulent times in which both the painter and the composer lived.21

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Paul Hindemith
His greatest work, Mathis der Maler, an opera about the painter Matthias Grünewald and his struggles with society, caused a public imbroglio in Nazi Germany when Wilhelm Furtwängler conducted an orchestral version with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1934 and vigorously supported the opera in the press. The Nazi…
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His greatest work, Mathis der Maler, an opera about the painter Matthias Grünewald and his struggles with society, caused a public imbroglio in Nazi Germany when Wilhelm Furtwängler conducted an orchestral version with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1934 and vigorously supported the opera in the press. The Nazi…
Read More