GEORG FRIEDRICH HAAS / KLANGFORUM WIEN
11 000 strings
A microtonal universe for 50 pianos
With piano students from the Paris National Conservatory of Music and Dance (CNSMDP) and the Pôle Sup’93 Music Conservatory
Approx. 1h10
By combining 50 pianos and the ensemble Klangforum Wien, composer Georg Friedrich Haas has authored a monumental work that immerses the audience into an extraordinarily vast soundscape.
A random occurrence gave birth to this piece composed in 2020: when Peter Paul Kainrath, artistic director of Klangforum Wien, visited Hailun Pianos, a Chinese piano manufacturer, he stumbled across a room that contained 100 pianos, all of which were being played at the same time by robots. The manufacturer explained that it was standard procedure to test each instrument for 24 hours straight before it leaves the workshop. Inspired by this surprise performance, Kainrath immediately thought of Georg Friedrich Haas. An Austrian composer both rooted in the European tradition and influenced by the innovations of American composers such as Charles Ives, Harry Partch, and John Cage, Haas is internationally renowned for his research into microtones. By perfectly synchronising 50 copies of the same instrument, each one tuned slightly differently from its neighbour (by an interval of 0.02), it became possible to experiment with microtones with great precision. Adding the 25 members of Klangforum Wien and working extensively on the spatialisation of the sound has yielded a truly unique and grandiose sensory experience beyond compare. From immense, powerful sound waves to more delicate, subtle constellations, the music – like a gathering storm – becomes matter in motion, carrying the audience towards a sense of transcendence.
subject to availability 10€
More prices here →
Co-production Festival d’Automne, la Philharmonie de Paris, La Villette, Paris
In partnership with the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris and Pôle Sup’93
With the support of Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung
Exclusive Partner Hailun Pianos
Technical Partner Newzik app (digital music)
The world premiere took place at Busoni-Mahler Foundation Bolzano/Bozen in Italy on August 1, 2023
Production between October 2023 and July 2026 by Klangforum Wien
Special thanks to Hailun Pianos for the 50 pianos and the partnership without which 11,000 strings could not have been realized
subject to availability 10€
More prices here →
Practical information
Grande Halle
Metro
Line 5 - Porte de Pantin station
Tramway
Line 3b - Porte de Pantin station
Bus
Bus 75, 151 - Porte de Pantin stop
Bike GH
Vélib' docking points
Bike racks
Electric bikes
A battery container is located in front of the Grande Halle.
Parking
Q-Park
Philharmonie
Q-Park
Cité de la Musique - La Villette
Q-Park
Cité de la Musique - Conservatoire
Parking
Cité des Sciences
- This performance is accessible to blind and visually impaired people.
- Accessibility contact for people with reduced mobility: +33 (0)1 40 03 75 75
- This space is accessible to people with reduced mobility.
- This space is partially accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing people, depending on the programme.
- This space is partially accessible to people using hearing aids, depending on the programme.
- This space is accessible to people with psychological, cognitive and intellectual disabilities.
- Food and drinks in the hall before and after the performance, provided by the Soré grocery store.
- Several food and drink options are available on site before and after the performance. Discover them HERE.
Access to the venue is subject to a security check.
- The following are prohibited: all glass containers, sharp or blunt objects, weapons of any kind or replicas, animals except guide dogs, large bags and luggage, and batteries for electric bicycles and scooters.
- Security staff have sole discretion over which items may or may not be brought into the venue.
- Food may not be brought into the performance venue.
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