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Georg Friedrich Haas: In Vain (1st Dark Section)

Georg Friedrich Haas (born 16 August 1953 in Graz, Austria) is an Austrian composer of spectral music. [source]

Composition for 24 Instruments
Album: In Vain
Released on Kairos Records
Composed by: Georg Friedrich Haas
Performed by: Klangforum Wien Ensemble
Conductor: Sylvain Cambreling
Genre: Classical
Style: Avantgarde, Microtonal

This composition has been conceived to be performed in a specific light environment of the concert hall, changing gradually as the movements of the composition unfold. This is the first dark section, after the opening movement in which the lights are gradually turned down signaling a shift in the atmosphere while the instruments abandon equal-tempered tuning and follow the overtone series. The section is primarily comprised of a series of duos (one string instrument and one wind instrument), whose entrances are overlapped and chained together. The duos begin on a unison pitch, but the string instrument immediately slides the pitch up or down by a half step, concurrently overtaking the corresponding woodwind in volume. This section is performed in complete darkness as the performers have memorized the score. As this section reaches its ending the concert hall lightning gradually increases while the piece continues to the next movement.
There are two dark sections on the entire composition while the first (this one) is meant to be played in complete darkness, the second dark section is played in dark while there are strobes of flashing light through its duration.
Dark Sections:
First Dark Section: 5’30″
First Dark Section Ends: 11’02″
Second Dark Section: 42’15″
Strobe Flashes Begin: 48’20″
Second Dark Section Ends: 56’35″