Paul Hindemith: Symphonia Serena (1946) / Symphony "The Harmony of the World" (1951)

Symphonia Serena is the third of Hindemith's six symphonies. Composed in 1946, it's an athletic work, more along the lines of a concerto for orchestra. Hindemith, perhaps more so than any other composer, wrote his symphonies with a wide range of instrumental parts. (Some critics disliked the way Hindemith wrote roles for amateur players in a symphony orchestra. But if Symphonia Serena's only fault is its simplicity, then to hell with those guys.) Hindemith's Die Harmonie de Welt is a 1951 work that led to the 1957 opera of the same name. It's less moody than the Symphonia, but good nonetheless. --Paul Cook