The cycle of fugues is introduced and concluded by a Praeludium and Postludium, the second formed by turning the Praeludium upside down and reading it backwards. In solving technical problems he posed himself, Hindemith created not a dry exercise but a work of considerable imagination. Intellectual achievement and sheer delight in playing are shown not to be mutually exclusive. The Ludus is a graphc example of the composer's delight in the fantastic, offered to his wife, born under the sign of L...