Franz Schrecker and Georg Friedrich Haas: The Alchemy of Sound

Abstract

Sound (German: Klang) is a central category in the works of two Austrian composers: Franz Schreker (1878-1934) and Georg Friedrich Haas (b. 1953). Despite the fact that they are separated by almost a century, the affinity of their creative principles is obvious. Sound is the main theme of Schreker's work. It functions as a symbol rooted in the topos of the fin de siècle era, which has a specific musical expression in ornamental figures and specific timbres. For Haas, as a postspectralist and a proponent of microchromatics, sound is a composition as such: he «thinks with sound», working with microintervals and overtones, creating a world full of fragile beauty. Haas highly appreciated Schreker's music, which is confirmed not only by his statements about his predecessor, but also by a quote from the opera The Distant Bell in the Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (2003/4). The work of this composer can definitely be considered as one of the origins of Haas' method of working with sound.

Keywords

Sound, Franz Schrecker, Art Nouveau, Georg Friedrich Haas, microchromatics