Hába Alois Hába

Alois Hába (21 June 1893 – 18 November 1973) was a Czech composer, music theorist and teacher. He belongs to the important discoverers in modern classical music, and major composers of microtonal music, especially using the quarter-tone scale, though he used others such as sixth-tones (e.g., in the 5th, 10th and 11th String Quartets), fifth-tones (Sixteenth String Quartet), and twelfth-tones. From the other mictrotonal conceptions, he discussed a "three-quarter tone" system (see three-quarter tone flat and the neutral second) in his theoretical works^{[not in citation given]} but he used scales in this tuning in sections of some of his compositions. In his prolific career, Hába composed three operas, an enormous collection of chamber music including 16 string quartets, piano, organ and choral pieces, some orchestral works and songs. He also had special keyboard and woodwind instruments constructed that were capable of playing quarter-tone scales.

Works

Alois Hába's works total 103 opuses, the majority of which are various kinds of chamber music. Among the most important are his string quartets, which document and demonstrate the development of his style. In addition to quarter tones, Hába used sixth-tones in his String Quartets nos. in the 5, 10, and 11, as well as in Six Pieces for Sixth-tone Harmonium or String Quartet (1928), Duo for Sixth-tone Violins (1937), Thy Kingdom Come, a Sixth-tone Musical Drama in Seven Scenes (1937–42), Suite in Sixth-tones for Solo Violin (1955), and Suite in Sixth-tones for Solo Cello (1955). For a detailed survey, see complete list of compositions.