Archive for October, 2009

Today we remember a sad date: on 17th of October 65 years ago composer Pavel Haas has died in Auschwitz. When playing his music one can’t but admire his talent, his wit, his invention as well as sheer joy of living and positive energy, which pour out of his compositions. Favourite pupil of Janacek, Haas has taken his inspirations from his teacher’s interest in Moravian folk music, but also from jazz and new contemporary impulses of his times, such as music of Igor Stravinsky.

Learning and recording his Piano Suite and little witty piece Allegro Moderato has been a revelation to me. They are pianisticallychallenging in their own way, but ultimately rewarding and offering endless revelations each time I perform them. His daughter Olga, whom I met this summer in Brno, native town of Haas, said that it was uncanny how complex Haas’s piano compositions are, considering that he was far from a virtuoso pianist himself. I have also performed his song cycle Seven Songs on Folk Poetry with my friend, mezzo Lucie Spickova. While the voice part stays close to the original folk song, piano goes into veritable acrobatics of poly-rhytmical puzzles and games. A joy to play and to study.

I would like to finish this small contribution in memory of Pavel Haas by quoting Ludvik Kundera, musicologist:

” Everyone knew Haas as always smiling, witty, slightly ironic companion, but at the same time his frail figure and pale face added to his humorous words hint of sadness. As if he had a foreboding of the tragedy of his destiny and of the bitter end of his life.”

 On the 1st of october BBC In Tune programme with Sean Rafferty has played all miniatures by Leos Janacek from my CD Intimate Studies. As some of them have been recorded for the first time, this would have been their world radio premiere.

Here is a new review for Intimate Studies from a Magazine Pizzicatto. Translation will follow soon. 

To enlarge please click on the review, it will open in a separate window.