MIROSLAV BEINHAUER

Alois Hába, a major composer of the 20^th century, became famous for his pioneering experiments with microintervallic music, while his large oeuvre using the standard system of semitones often tends to be neglected. Hába was looking for a way to enrich traditional musical procedures and to arrive at a personal expressive language, and he succeeded brilliantly. The pianist Miroslav Beinhauer, a specialist in Hába’s music, has brought to life not only the composer’s microintervallic compositions, but also his lesser-known piano works that are worth discovering. But what is the true legacy of this musical genius? Our interview with Miroslav Beinhauer about the double album now being released with Hába’s complete piano works will offer deeper insights into the fascinating world of that composer’s music and its interpretation.

Miroslav, what led you to the musical legacy of Alois Hába, and what was your first impression from his piano music?

I came to the music of Alois Hába through the Ostrava Centre for New Music, which invited me take part in the premiere of the sixth-tone opera Thy Kingdom Come, when I was given the task of playing the part for sixth-tone harmonium. Paradoxically, it was through microintervals that I arrived at Alois Hába’s music for standard semitone piano. When I began gathering information about it, I was surprised by how extensive and varied his piano music was, and how attractive it was for listeners and performers. Then when I found out that only a minimal amount of his piano compositions had been recorded, I just knew I had to record his complete piano music.

What were the biggest challenges for learning and recording the works on this album?

There were several challenges. Some of Hába’s piano compositions had never been recorded before; his early compositions were preserved only in a poorly legible manuscript, so the process of learning them was not at all simple. On the other hand, Hába’s greatest piano compositions are truly major works, technically and formally, and they push the performer’s ability to the maximum. It is fascinating how wide a scope Hába was able to encompass in his piano works. His early compositions are based on the Romanticism of Novák, his mature works are highly expressive, going beyond the limits of tonality, and his late works are athematic. Hába composed traditional fugues, classical sonatas, and even newer musical forms like character pieces or “jazz” dances. When taking an overall look at his piano music, it is clear to discern for each piece what stage of life Hába was going through, and what was influencing him. Of course, the element that is in common to all of Hába’s music is his ever-present Moravian melodiousness and his striking rhythms—his Vizovice origins cannot be denied.

How important do you think Hába’s compositions without microintervals are in the context of his whole oeuvre and in the music history of the 20^th century?

They are absolutely of key importance, and not just from a Czech perspective. Hába’s compositions for standard semi-tone instruments constitute most of his works, and compared with his micro-intervallic compositions, they have far greater potential to reach a wide audience. A lot of people label Alois Hába as an experimenter who composed in “strange systems”, so his music is “odd”. I would go so far as to say that this double album shows Alois Hába in an absolutely different light, moving him into the mainstream of Czech classical music of the 20^th century alongside Leoš Janáček and Bohuslav Martinů.

Is it your ambition increase the interest in Hába’s music, for example through concerts or other projects, and how is today’s public reacting to his music?

I have already given several solo recitals of the music of Alois Hába, and there are definitely more to come. It is really interesting to see how people react after hearing Hába’s piano music for the first time—really, I have yet to encounter a negative response, and I’m enormously pleased about that. Last year, I finished my doctoral studies at the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno, researching the topic “Alois Hába – keyboard works, with a focus on solo piano semi-tone works and works for sixth-tone harmonium”. So I am trying to spread awareness of Hába’s legacy through concerts and theoretical studies. Another goal I have set for myself involving Alois Hába is performing his Symphonic Fantasy for piano and orchestra, Op. 8, a nearly forgotten piano concerto from the 1920s, which deserves a firm, lasting place in the repertoire of orchestras and pianists.