Solstices – World Premiere – Iceland

Date: Saturday 26th January
Venue: Dark Music Days, Nordic House, Reykjavík

Solstices is a 70-minute piece from Georg Friedrich Haas, which takes place entirely in darkness. For 10 musicians, including a completely re-tuned grand piano, Solstices opens with a passage of taut, energetic, and precise music.  From here the piece turns to a process of deep-listening by the musicians who, led by a totally re-tuned grand piano, play and tune a series of overtone chords.  Soon Haas introduces a variety of musical ‘games’ and elements that play upon the surface of this slowly moving texture.  Building to an intense climax, the final chord is held by the musicians for more than four minutes.  Haas writes:

very gradually the light comes back
the brighter the light, the softer the music
decrescendo al niente

Solstices is a commission by the Riot Ensemble, with support from the Darmstadt Internationales Musikinstitut, November Music, the Royal Academy of Music and Dark Music Days.