# Alois HÁBA: String Quartets



## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

A place to discuss these gems of 20th-century string quartet repertoire. I have started to review them chronologically through blog(s).

*String Quartet No. 1, Op. 4*


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

No replies, so am I safe in assuming that my posts on Hába will be in vain?


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## Johnnie Burgess (Aug 30, 2015)

Portamento said:


> No replies, so am I safe in assuming that my posts on Hába will be in vain?


Can not comment on them. I have not heard any of them.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Johnnie Burgess said:


> Can not comment on them. I have not heard any of them.


Me neither, nor even heard form the composer before, now I did, small clips on the Presto site.
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/w/264282


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

I have four CD's of his SQ's on the "to play" stack - after I finish the G composers.....


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

Art Rock said:


> I have four CD's of his SQ's on the "to play" stack - after I finish the G composers.....


You only need one - the Neos release by the eponymous Hába Quartet.


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

My favorite Hába quartet:


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## Johnnie Burgess (Aug 30, 2015)

Spotify has 5 cd's of his on it.


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

So... any reactions to the videos I posted, or your own discoveries on Spotify/YouTube?


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## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

Portamento said:


> No replies, so am I safe in assuming that my posts on Hába will be in vain?


Nope! I like these works very much; I'm just late to the party in replying. Thanks for starting this thread.

-09


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## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

Portamento said:


> So... any reactions to the videos I posted, or your own discoveries on Spotify/YouTube?


Currently listening to his quarter-tone infused 2nd:


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## Omicron9 (Oct 13, 2016)

He was a fascinating man; a true original:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alois_H%C3%A1ba

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Alois_H%C3%A1ba


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## Guest (Aug 3, 2017)

I have never heard his music before, but thanks to your post, you've introduced me to quite a fine sounding composer! Dark and contrapuntal...just the way I like it! I've added the Neos set to my Amazon Want List.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Listening to SQ1 now - obviously not representative for his style, sounds rather conservative, but mellow and nice.

SQ2 and SQ3 next (I have the Bayer box with all 16 from a clearance sale some time ago, never got around to playing it).


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Thanks for bringing this up. Back in college, I saw his proposed quarter-tone keyboard layout, and it pretty much scared me away from his music.


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## Portamento (Dec 8, 2016)

Kontrapunctus said:


> I have never heard his music before, but thanks to your post, you've introduced me to quite a fine sounding composer! Dark and contrapuntal...just the way I like it! I've added the Neos set to my Amazon Want List.


Glad I could help!



Art Rock said:


> Listening to SQ1 now - obviously not representative for his style, sounds rather conservative, but mellow and nice.
> 
> SQ2 and SQ3 next (I have the Bayer box with all 16 from a clearance sale some time ago, never got around to playing it).


SQ1 is quite nice for a student work - in my opinion it barely edges out Hindemith's First (and _maybe_ Second). As you seem to be listening to the quartets chronologically, you will see that Hába arrived at his mature style quite fast (SQ2 was his first quarter-tone work).



Manxfeeder said:


> Thanks for bringing this up. Back in college, I saw his proposed quarter-tone keyboard layout, and it pretty much scared me away from his music.


Thank God _I_ never saw that...


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

SQ 2 and 3 were indeed completely different - and fascinating! The coming days I will listen to the others.


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