In his 1945 notes, Wilhelm Furtwängler observed that Paul Hindemith owed his success primarily to his pronounced love of order. During this time, both Hindemith and Furtwängler were living in exile – Hindemith in America, Furtwängler in Switzerland. Their first encounter had occurred in the early 1920s: Hindemith was then conducting the Frankfurt Opera Orchestra, while Furtwängler led the city's Museum Orchestra before being appointed chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic in 1922.
The year 1922 was particularly significant for Hindemith. He was born in 1895 near Frankfurt, the son of a painter who was also musically inclined and fostered his children's talents. Hindemith's musical abilities were evident from an early age. After his military service in 1917, he returned to conduct the Frankfurt Opera Orchestra once again. His early compositions lacked the originality that would characterize his later works.
Immediately after the war, Hindemith resumed his artistic career and in 1919 signed a lifetime contract with the publisher Schott. Despite initial reservations about some of his pieces, he soon gained recognition for his work. His breakthrough as a composer came with the performance of his expressionist one-act operas, including one in Stuttgart.
The year 1922 marked a turning point for the then 26-year-old Hindemith. During this time, he created numerous works, including the suite "1922" for solo piano. Later, he composed the important piano work Ludus Tonalis, in which he summarized his musical theories. His concept of tonality, based on overtones, gave his compositions a distinctive character.