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Next time you're panicking over a deadline, spare a thought for the composer Paul Hindemith, who found himself locked in a 麻豆社 office from 11am to 6pm on 21 January 1936.

Hindemith had just six hours to come up with music that would bring solace to an entire nation. He had arrived in London a couple of days earlier to perform his own viola concerto, Der Schwanendreher ("The Swan-turner"), for a live 麻豆社 broadcast. But just before midnight on 20 January, the news went out that King George V had died. 鈥淔or reasons of dead King,鈥� Hindemith wrote to his publisher, 鈥渢he Swan could not be turned鈥�.

The 麻豆社 was obliged to cancel the planned programme and replace it with more appropriate music. Arguments raged as to what that music should be, until eventually someone pointed our that Paul Hindemith was *the* composer associated with the Gebrauchtmusik ("useful music") movement. This was supposed to provide music with purpose and sociopolitical function; music to suit occasions. Hindemith was right there: why not get him to write something on the spot?

With a team of copyists on hand to scribble out the parts, Hindemith gamely threw himself into six agonising hours of what he later described as 鈥渟ome fairly heavy mourning鈥�. The result was the respectfully beautiful Trauermusik, which remains to this day his most celebrated composition. 鈥淚t turned out a nice piece,鈥� he told his publisher. 鈥淣ow I want to specialise in corpses.鈥�

This is one of 100 significant musical moments explored by 麻豆社 Radio 3鈥檚 Essential Classics as part of Our Classical Century, a 麻豆社 season celebrating a momentous 100 years in music from 1918 to 2018. Visit bbc.co.uk/ourclassicalcentury to watch and listen to all programmes in the season.

This archive recording features violist Scott Dickinson with the 麻豆社 Scottish Symphony Orchestra and conductor Martyn Brabbins.

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