Read what the press is saying about REWIND:
Symphony Magazine review
New York Times review
Time Out New York preview article
San Francisco Chronicle review
ClassicalDomain.com interview with Paul Haas
PlaybillArts.com preview article
New Jersey Star Ledger preview article
New York Times listing
The New Yorker listing
Our first Spanish-language preview in Miami's ElNuevoHerald.com
Listen to our WNYC Soundcheck interview from Monday, June 5
Quotes:
“REWIND refits the classical experience for a new century… You had the feeling of being with musicians, not just observing them… Traditional audiences demand to have their say, but here all stilted, ritual interruptions were squelched… The come-on to newcomers was clear: "Look, we can be hip too." Yet the center of the evening was the supercharged Romanticism of Schoenberg's "Verklärte Nacht," performed with passion and beauty by Mr. Haas and his young players… "Rewind" seemed to involve its young and substantial audience so acutely because the music and the musicians were very good… It also worked because the physical format made sure that classical music's bad habits didn't have a chance.” (New York Times)
“The effect is haunting and evocative… a continuous cascade of music and visuals, unfamiliar and familiar, challenging and sublime… Haas' gutsy conducting style, as is usual for him, is energetic and elastic while being in control of and sensitive to changes in tempo, rhythm and dynamics. He throws his entire body into the performance in a way that has been continually lauded by critics since his professional debut in 1997… there is a frisson in the air, a sense among the audience members that something momentous has occurred in those 100 minutes as they step back onto the gritty streets of the Lower East Side.” (San Francisco Chronicle)
"There was a genuine sense of event...it certainly exploded any notion I have of an orchestral concert. It felt as if something important was happening, something with emotional stakes, and it felt like I was a part of it." (Symphony Magazine)
“It’s clearly not just a concert…a sonic and visual extravaganza that spans five centuries of music.” (WNYC FM)
“REWIND is not a group so much as a concept. Seeking to shake up the static nature of a typical classical music concert, Haas has assembled a 90-minute stream of music that eliminates the obligatory pauses and intermissions in order to better keep audience attention.” (Newark Star-Ledger)
“REWIND takes the listener through a continuous sonic experience, mixing established compositions with new music, creating a seamless flow of sound — and no one is allowed off until the ride comes to a complete halt.” (ClassicalDomain.com)
“Paul Haas remixes the classical concert with REWIND. An especially novel approach…Visual elements by artist Kate Raudenbush and the dispersal of performers throughout the concert space lend further interest to Haas’ visionary presentation.” (Time Out New York)
“Like nothing you’ve ever experienced before.” (WQXR FM)
"In Beethoven's day one could only hear an orchestra in a concert hall. Today one can enjoy Mozart in the elevator and supermarket - or even while jogging. What can be done to make that live concert experience special again? Technologies have changed over the years, and we must realize that today's young audiences expect a different and fuller experience than their parents did. Watching the back of a standing maestro with dozens of musicians looking at their music while playing is not really a very exciting picture, and a 40-minute piece without words to describe it is bewildering even to many standard concertgoers.
"New ways of presenting concerts are essential, and some classical musicians are using their creativity not only to make music, but also to tackle this fascinating and knotty issue. For example, a project called REWIND, the brainchild of conductor Paul Haas, envisions a unique concert experience in which spatial, visual, and seamlessly integrated compositional techniques are used to meld together five centuries of music. Old masterworks will flow neatly into newly commissioned works. Notated music will vie with improvised, sound with visuals. The concert will be unique, and it will fascinate both the educated music-lovers and novice. This, indeed, is the future of music, and Paul Haas has both the ideas and talent to take us there."
- John Corigliano, composer and winner of an Academy Award, Pulitzer Prize, and Grammy Award |
