The research subject of this thesis is the viola concerto Der Schwanendreher by the German composer Paul Hindemith written in 1935. The paper also focuses on the exploitation of the meanings and the tunes of the German medieval folksongs, and their application and connection with the concerto. By tracing the composer’s musical studies and life experiences, much can be understood about his compositional theories, the various stages of his musical styles and the principles that he holds for music writings. The quest of a truthful performance of the concerto is to be based on the interpretation and analysis of its structure, the resolution of the technical difficulties and the understanding of the insinuation by the medieval tunes in this work. In addition, through personal and others’ performances, the performer hopes to find and achieve a total expression of the composer’s thoughts conveyed in the music.

Key word；Paul Hindemith, medieval tune, Der Schwanendreher