Haas: anyone listened?

[Bryn]

GF Haas is fairly new to my ears. Last night's HaN made me want to hear more. Any pointers?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

A couple of discs on KAIROS:

http://www.kairos-music.com/home.php?il=326&l=deu#326

http://www.kairos-music.com/home.php?il=397&l=deu#397

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Haas has a lot of admirers - Rattle is very keen on In Vain, which was performed at Huddersfield last year and is on the first of the KAIROS discs - but I've never managed to click with it so far. The first piece on Saturday's programme ... well, on a single hearing I was left with the feeling that Scelsi did that sort of thing much better. Rather "coloured" my attitude to the other two works.

[Blotto]

Haas: anyone listened?

Haas anyone listened to what?

(I may only be making your own joke more badly but I thought I'd give it a try.)

[Pianoman]

I rather like In Vain, but the 'lights out' bit is a gimmick, and not something I'll repeat listening to the disc....

[MrGongGong]

I went to see/experience In Vain at HCMF last year, great contrast with the switching ON of the Christmas lights outside then the switching OFF inside.
To those of us who go to acousmatic gigs the listening in the dark thing isn't really a novelty and I do think it works well for this piece.
I did find it worth the trip, but it did feel a bit like "Grisey lite" to my ears
fantastic ending though

[Roehre]

Haas has a lot of admirers - Rattle is very keen on In Vain, which was performed at Huddersfield last year and is on the first of the KAIROS discs - but I've never managed to click with it so far. The first piece on Saturday's programme ... well, on a single hearing I was left with the feeling that Scelsi did that sort of thing much better. Rather "coloured" my attitude to the other two works.

Inspired by this comment, I reversed the order of listening, starting with String quartet no.2 (the earliest work, 1998),followed by the [Bariton-]Saxophone concerto (2008) and the recent Introduction und Transsonation (2012).
I must say that I found hardly any development in Haas' style, and that the Scelsi-moments are better done by Scelsi (as FHG already observed).

I enjoyed the concert nevertheless, and was rather surprised by the ending of the concerto, where IMO another influence became apparant, one which AFAIK has not been mentioned in relation to Haas: Bernd Aloys Zimmermann.
The last five or so minutes seemed to me almost a transcription for orchestral forces of long stretches of both Tratto I and Tratto II (both 1968/'69). Interestingly fully integrated in the previous nearly 20 minutes or so. Coincidence?

But to return to FHG: the Introduction und Transsonation is too long and too Scelsi-like, elements which more define the other works are to some extent certainly lacking (as e.g. the very abrupt very opening of the concerto, which IMO defines your expectation of what follows for a long stretch), and hence unable to escape a sense of boredom I'm afraid.

[Roehre]

...
To those of us who go to acousmatic gigs the listening in the dark thing isn't really a novelty and I do think it works well for this piece.
....

For me it works for most music and it is my preferred listening mode. Thank goodness winter is nigh again

[Richard Barrett]

To those of us who go to acousmatic gigs the listening in the dark thing isn't really a novelty

Indeed. To Roehre I would say: listening in the dark at a concert is as far as I'm concerned quite a different experience from listening in the dark at home. I've only heard In Vain in recorded form (and one or two of his other pieces in concerts), and I don't really see what the hype is about - there are some attractive moments but it's reminding me of other things too much of the time.

[MrGongGong]

Indeed. To Roehre I would say: listening in the dark at a concert is as far as I'm concerned quite a different experience from listening in the dark at home. I've only heard In Vain in recorded form (and one or two of his other pieces in concerts), and I don't really see what the hype is about - there are some attractive moments but it's reminding me of other things too much of the time.

That was my feeling.
At HCMF I felt the whole experience of arriving to the town full of people for the Christimas lights going on, then an almost full hall, lots of folks I knew etc etc made it memorable and worthwhile. I did listen a couple of times to the recording but like you felt that it doesn't really live up to the hype around it.

[Roehre]

Indeed. To Roehre I would say: listening in the dark at a concert is as far as I'm concerned quite a different experience from listening in the dark at home. I've only heard In Vain in recorded form (and one or two of his other pieces in concerts), and I don't really see what the hype is about - there are some attractive moments but it's reminding me of other things too much of the time.

...to which I only can agree.