ABSTRACT
This chapter examines Paul Hindemith's political context to reconsider how Mathis may function as a persona for the composer. It suggests that a reading of the opera which argues for Mathis's, and Hindemith's, retreat from politics and society is inaccurate and also suggests that elements of the opera resonate strongly with contemporary political thought. Hindemith believed in a realm of music beyond the worldly, a philosophy which draws on the Romantic heritage of musical aesthetics in which music is transcendent and mystical. The true place of art in society is indicated by the fact that Albrecht has now renounced wealth as Mathis has, showing that art's true place is with the people, and that its position in Mainz society, where it functions as a symbol of wealth and privilege, is false. Hindemith recasts his aesthetic views to argue that he is facing towards the future, just as National Socialism attempted to portray itself as a forward-looking and modern movement.
