On 20th June, 1930 an "Electric Concert" was given in the Large Hall of the Berlin Music University. The main attraction was the world premiere of "Trio-Pieces" by Paul Hindemith for Friedrich Trautwein´s electric musical instrument, the Trautonium.
On one of the three instruments Hindemith himself played the top part, his pupil in composition and partner of F. Trautwein, Oskar Sala, played the middle voice, and the piano-teacher Rudolph Schmidt the bass part. The present recording of the Triostücke was made in 1977 by Oskar Sala on his Mixtur-Trautonium. Hindemith´s top part can be heard in the centre of the room, Sala´s original middle voice to the left and the bass part first performed by Rudolph Schmidt comes from the right.
The lively response to the successful premiere induced Hindemith to experiment
with the Trautonium as a solo instrument. Hindemith´s "Concert Piece for a Trautonium
with String Orchestra Accompaniment" was given its first world performance at
a concert during a convention for radio-music in Munich in July 1931.
The string orchestra was conducted by Hindemith himself. The recording was
produced in 1976/77 in the Bavarian Radio studios with the Munich Chamber Orchestra
conducted by Hans Stadlmair. The soloist on the Mixtur-Trautonium, just as in
1931, is Oskar Sala. Oskar Sala´s "Elektronische Impressionen" are a product
of his studio and result from the close connection between tape recording art
and the interpretative art at the Mixturtrautonium.
Please find further information at the other two CDs of OSKAR SALA: "My
Faszinating Instrument" und Subharmonische
Mixturen"
