Alois Haba - Czech Contemporary Composer

ALOIS HABA (born 21.6.1893 in Vizovice, died 18. 2. 1973 in Prague), Czech
composer, music theoretician, teacher and organiser, is one of the creators of
new tonal systems on the basis of intervals of less than a half-tone (quarter-tone,
fifth-tone and sixth-tone). Haba introduced these microtonal systems into his
music both practically and theoretically, tying up independently with the first
tentative compositional and theoretical quarter-tone attempts of Stein,
Moellendorf and Mager. Haba is so far the only composer to have written
microtonal compositions on a melodic-harmonic base, in all forms of modern
music and for the most varied instrumental and vocal content. For this he used
on the one hand traditional instruments, but he also proposed new instruments -
quarter-tone pianos, the quarter-tone harmonium, quarter-tone clarinets, quarter-
tone trumpets, and the sixth-tone harmonium, which were manufactured by
Czech and German firms of instrument makers. Haba's microtonal systems are
based on the complete utilization of all tones in the microtonal series. Haba does
not see these microtones of his as new interval values but as alterations in scale
and non-scale intervals of the half-tone system by which he wishes only to
emphasize the content aspect of his music. From the theoretical point of view
Haba carried out the mechanical division of the octave into equal micro-intervals.
Haba anchors this musicality inspirationally and musically in his striking native
region of Moravian Wallachia, in the songs of which archaic manners of
interpretation including singing in micro-intervals have been retained. Haba also
composed in the half-tone system. During his time with the Universal Edition
publishers (1918-1920) he became a fan of Schoenberg's harmonic radicalism
with its "semitone" chords and aggressive intervals of small seconds, large
sevenths and small ninths. Basically however, he rejected Schoenberg's free and
organised "atonality" (with "twelve only mutually relating tones") which he
replaced with the principle of tonal centrality (the relation of the tones and chords
to the tone or chord center). In melody and rhythm Haba thinks independently of
Schoenberg. He does not take so much pleasure in abrupt (unmelodic) intervals,
the melody of his compositions is fluent and lyrical. Haba began both his amateur
and professional careers as a musician and an instrumentalist. He played the
violin and the double bass in his father's folk orchestra and in the pupils'
orchestra of the teaching institute in Kromeriz (1908 -1912). Even before entering
the master's class in composition of V. Novak (1914), he took the State
examination in the violin and thus gained his first professional qualification.
These first professions of Haba’s help to explain his life-long love of instrumental
music. The instrument does not perhaps exist for which he did not write a
composition or at least use it in a chamber ensemble. Instrumental chamber
music also forms a landmark in Haba's creativity. Haba came from a region which
is known for its melodic and expressive speech. The characteristic alternation of
short and long syllables in words, the melodious vaulting of sentences and
phrases became in the case of Haba, as earlier in the case of Janacek, an
inseparable and constant characteristic of his verbal expression. He had a sense
for the beauty and lyricism of his native language as a composer also. Haba's
first great vocal work, the opera "Mother", opus 35 (1929), immediately presents
him as an eager and independent follower of Janacek. Haba's airs and songs
grow organically from the melodious flow of speech, which he was also able to
transpose stylistically into music. After the time of his studies under V. Novak
(1914 -15) and later under F. Schreker (1918 - 22) Haba educated himself
musically on his own. His theoretical interest in everything new had a deeper
sense. He never ceased to ask himself questions about the sense of musical
creativity, the real existence of which is created by the structural tonal
components. He was musician and thinker in one person. At the time of the
struggles for a socially and nationally just society this thinking of Haba's was
enriched by traits which ranked him among the leading artistic supporters of
socialist ideas in musical creativity and in musical life as a whole. As early as the
'twenties he was one of the supporters of "pure" music. The quarter-tone opera
"Mother", opus 35, with its socially motivated glorification of the ordinary man and
his faith in justice, is the start of a line of socially and socialistically committed
works, the material of which reflects the struggle of the democratic forces against
fascism and the regressive aspects of the supreme capitalist society. For Haba
the composer and the theorist it was typical not to link this humanistic mission of
his work with ephemeral concessions which would have weakened the clarity
and penetration of the style and language of his music. He saw the newness of
music and ideas in unity as an divisible aesthetic axiom and as the prerequisite
for the lasting cultural and social effect of his work. From 1923 onwards Haba
lived permanently in Prague. Through his compositions, his work as a teacher at
the State Music Conservatory and the Academy of Arts and Music in Prague (up
to 1950), his organizational activity in music societies (the Society for Modern
Music, Pritomnost (The Present), the Syndicate of Czech Composers, the Union
of Czechoslovak Composers) and his work as a director in the Great Opera of
5th May (today the Smetana Theatre) he had a penetrating effect on
contemporary musical life.

LIST OF WORKS

* COMPOSITIONS FOR ORCHESTRA Overture for orchestra, op. 5 (1920), UE Path of Life,
symphonic fantasy, op. 66 (1933), Panton, o EdS 20'
* Wallachian Suite for orchestra, op. 77 (l952-53), CHF 2ó'

CONCERTANT COMPOSITIONS
* Symphonic Fantasy for piano and orchestra, op. 8 (l920 - 21), CHF 24'
* Concerto for violin and orchestra, op. 83 (l954-55), CHF 30'
* Concerto for viola and orchestra, op. 86 (l956-57), CHF 30'

COMPOSITIONS FOR CHAMBER ENSEMBLES

* String Quartet No. 1, op. 4 (1918), UE
* String Quartet No. 2 in the quarter-tone system, op. 7 (l820),
* Fantasy for flute (or violin) and piano, op. 34 (l927-28), CHF 20'
* Fantasy for nonet No. 1 in the twelve-tone system, op. 40 (1931), SHV, o EdS
* Duo for two violins in the sixth-tone system, op. 49 (l937), at own expense, o Columbia
* String Quartet No. 7 "Christmas', op. 73 (1950-51), SNKLHU 13'
* String Quartet No. 9 op. 79 (1952), o EdS 8'
* Nonet No. 3, op. 82 (l953), SNKLHU, o EdS 20'
* String Quartet No. 11 in the sixth-tone system, op. 87 (l957), SHV, o EdS l2'
* String Quartet No. 12 in the quartet-tone system, op. 80 (l959-60), SHV, o EdS l3'
* String Quartet No. 13, op. 92 (l961), SHV, o EdS l2'
* String Quartet No. 14 in the quarter-tone system, op. 94 (l963), Panton, o Panton 11'
* String Quartet No. 15, op. 95 (l964), o EdS 13'
* Nonet No. 9, op. 97 (1962-63)
* String Quartet No. 16 in the fifth-tone system, opus 88 (1967), Panton, o Panton l2'
* Suite for bass clarinet and piano, op. 100 (1869), o Panton

COMPOSITIONS FOR SOLO INSTRUMENTS

* Variations on a Canon by Robert Schumann for piano, op. l6 (1918), UE
* Deux morceaux pour piano, op. 2 (1917 - l8), UE
* Sonata for piano, op. 3 (1918), UE
* Six Piano Compositions, op. 6 (l920), EdS
* Fantasy for violin solo in the quarter-tone system, op. 9a (192l), UE, o Panton
* Music for violin solo in the quarter-tone system, op. 96 (1822), UE
 * Toccata quasi una fantasia for piano, op. 38 (1931), CHF, o Panton 13'
* Four Modern Dances for piano, op. 39 (1927), UE
* Sonata for Quarter-tone Piano, op. 62, (1846-47) ,CHF 15'
* Suite for Quarter-tone Guitar op 63 (1847), CHF 12'
* Suite for bassoon solo, op. 69 (1950), CHF
* Fantasy for organ, op. 75a (1951), CHF
* Suite for violin solo in the sixth-tone system, op. 85a (1955), CHF 10'
* Suite for violoncello solo in the sixth-tone system, op. 85b (l955) CHF 9'
* Suite for dulcimer, op. 8l (l960) o EdS 12'
* Suite for bass clarinet solo, op. 9B (1964), o EdS 12'
* Suite for saxophone solo, op. 99 (1968)
* Six Moods for piano, op. l02 (1971)

SONGS
* Sayings for children for medium voice and piano, op. 48 (l936) Text J. Foltyn, at own cost
* To My Beloved, cycle of seven songs for soprano and piano, op. 57 (1944), text B. Benesova,
at own cost
* Five Folk Lovesongs from Moravia for mezzo-soprano, op. 58 (1944), at own cost
* From the Wise Sayings of the Slavonic Nations for children's or women's choir with piano
accompaniment, op. 84 (1945- 55), text F. L. Celakovsky, CHF

CHOIRS
* The Constitution of 8th May, men's choir, op. 64 (1948), CHF

CANTATA
* For Peace, cantata for mixed choir and orchestra, op. 68 (1949), text A. Haba, CHF

STAGE WORKS
* Mother, opera in the quarter-tone system, op. 35 (l927-29), in 10 scenes libretto A. Haba,
Dilia, o EdS
* A New Land, op. 47 (l934-36), opera in 3 acts. libretto F. Pujman after F. Gladkov, o EdS
* The Kingdom Come (Unemployment), musical drama in the sixth-tone system, op. 50 (1941 -
42), in 7 scenes, libretto A. Haba, arrangement F. Pujman, at own cost

THEORETICAL WORKS
* Harmonic Principles of the Quarter-tone System, Prague, HMUB, 1922
* On the Psychology of Composition, the Laws on Tonic Movement and the Principles of a New
Musical Style, Prague, HMUB 1925
* Von der Psychologie der musikalischen Gestaltung, Gesetzmaessigkeit der Tonbewebung
und Grundlagen eines neuen Musikstils, UE Vienna l925
* Neue Harmonienlehre des diatonischen, chromatischen, Viertel-, Drittel-, Sechstel- und
Zwoelftel-Tonsystems, Letpzig, Kistner - Siegl l927
* Vitezslav Novak (for his 70th birthday), Prague, Vysehrad l940
* Mein Weg zur Viertel- und Sechsteltonmusik, Duesseldorf 1971

Bibliography:
* Jiri Vyslouzil: Alois Haba - Profile, Work, Bibliography, Documents, Brno, House of Further
Education and Culture, 1970
* Jiri Vyslouzil: Alois Haba, Prague, Panton 1974