Joseph Haas

[greek]

Joseph Haas was born in Maihingen in 1879.

He developed a transparent contrapuntal style. His most important compositional achievement is perhaps in the field of the "folk oratorio", in which he sought to transform the traditional oratorio through allowing the congregation vocal involvement in the performance. In his masses as well as his oratorios Haas achieved a folklike simple style based on unison choirs, basic forms, characteristic melodies, tonal harmony and the influence and presence of Gregorian chant.

He gave us just one string quartet, the string quartet in A, opus 50 (1919).

It has four movements:

1. Frisch und lebendig
2. Nicht zu rasch und menuettartig
3. Sehr langsam und ruhig
4. Sehr lebhaft 

Performed here by the Sinnhoffer quartet:

Ingo Sinnhoffer, 1. Violin
Roland Metzger, 2. Violin
Herbert Blendinger, Viola
Walter Nothas, Cello

[Rainolf]

The A major quartet op. 50 is in fact the second four-movement sonata-form string quartet Haas wrote. The first is his op. 8 in G minor, a work he composed during his studies with Max Reger. The movements are:

Allegro con moto (un poco agitato), 4/4, G minor
Scherzo: Vivace, 3/8 D major - Piú moderato, 3/8 G major
Larghetto, cantabile e tranquillo, 6/8, E flat major
Allegro con spirito, 2/4 G major

Then there is a Divertimento for string quartet in C major op. 32, published in 1911 and dedicated to Reger. It is in six movements:

Frisch bewegt, 4/4, C major
Langsam, capriciös, 4/4, F sharp minor
Sehr rasch und flüchtig, 3/8, B flat major
Etwas derb; nicht zu schnell, 4/4, B minor
Sehr getragen, mit viel Empfindung, 6/8, E flat major
Keck und übermütig, sehr rasch, 3/4, C major