Arthur Honegger (; 10 March 1892 – 27 November 1955) was a Swiss composer who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. A member of Les Six, his best known work is probably '' Antigone'', composed between 1924 and 1927 to the French libretto by

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the s ...

based on the tragedy '' Antigone'' by

Sophocles Sophocles (; grc, Σοφοκλῆς, , Sophoklễs; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. is one of three ancient Greek tragedians, at least one of whose plays has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or c ...

. It premiered on 28 December 1927 at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie with sets designed by

Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th century, he is ...

and costumes by

Coco Chanel Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel ( , ; 19 August 1883 – 10 January 1971) was a French fashion designer and businesswoman. The founder and namesake of the Chanel brand, she was credited in the post-World War I era with popularizing a sporty, c ...

. However, his most frequently performed work is probably the orchestral work ''

Pacific 231 ''Pacific 231'' is an orchestral work by Arthur Honegger, written in 1923. It is one of his most frequently performed works. Description The popular interpretation of the piece is that it depicts a steam locomotive, one that is supported by th ...

'', which was inspired by the sound of a

steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporizat ...

locomotive.

Biography

Arthur Honegger, plaque au Havre (France)

Born Oscar-Arthur Honegger (the first name was never used) to Swiss parents in

Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, ver ...

, France, he initially studied

harmony In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. Howev ...

with

Robert-Charles Martin Robert-Charles Martin (1877—1949) was a French composer, organist and teacher. Life Martin lived in the French port city of Le Havre ( Seine-Maritime) where he held the position of organist at the city's church of St Michel. Among his pupils wa ...

(to whom he dedicated his first published work and violin in Le Havre. After studying for two years at the

Zurich Conservatory Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK, german: Zürcher Hochschule der Künste) has approximately 2,500 students, which makes it the largest arts university in Switzerland. The university was established in 2007, following the merger between Zurich' ...

, he enrolled in the Paris Conservatoire from 1911 to 1918, studying with both Charles-Marie Widor and Vincent d'Indy. He made his Paris compositional debut in 1916 and in 1918 wrote the

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form ...

''Le dit des jeux du monde'', generally considered to be his first characteristic work. In 1926 he married

Andrée Vaurabourg Andrée Louise Vaurabourg-Honegger (8 September 1894 − 18 July 1980) was a French pianist and teacher. She was the wife of Swiss-French composer Arthur Honegger (1892–1955), whom she met at the Paris Conservatoire in 1916. Honegger married he ...

, a pianist and fellow student at the Paris Conservatoire, on the condition that they live in separate apartments because he required solitude for composing. Andrée lived with her mother, and Honegger visited them for lunch every day. They lived apart for the duration of their marriage, with the exception of one year from 1935 to 1936 following Vaurabourg's injury in a car accident, and the last year of Honegger's life, when he was not well enough to live alone. They had one daughter, Pascale, born in 1932. Honegger also had a son, Jean-Claude (1926–2003), with the singer Claire Croiza. In the early 1920s, Honegger shot to fame with his "dramatic psalm" '' Le Roi David'' ( King David), which is still in the choral repertoire. Between World War I and World War II, Honegger was very prolific. He composed the music for Abel Gance's epic 1927 film, '' Napoléon'', which was preceded by '' J'accuse'' (1919) and '' La Roue'' ("The Wheel") (1923). He composed nine ballets and three vocal stage works, amongst other works. One of those stage works, ''

Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher ''Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher'' (''Joan of Arc at the Stake'') is an oratorio by Arthur Honegger, originally commissioned by Ida Rubinstein. It was set to a libretto by Paul Claudel, and the work runs about 70 minutes. It premiered on 12 May 1938 in ...

'' (1935), a "dramatic oratorio" (to words by Paul Claudel), is thought of as one of his finest works. In addition to his pieces written alone, he collaborated with Jacques Ibert on both an opera, '' L'Aiglon'' (1937), and an operetta. During this time period, he also wrote '' Danse de la chèvre'' (1921), which has become a staple in the flute repertoire. Dedicated to

René Le Roy René Le Roy (; 4 March 1898 – 3 January 1985) sometimes spelled René LeRoy, was a French 20th-century flutist and a pedagogue. Biography René Le Roy was born in 1898 in Maisons-Laffitte. His parents were both amateur musicians, his fathe ...

and written for solo flute, this piece is lively and charming but with the same directness of all Honegger's work. Honegger always remained in touch with Switzerland, his parent's country of origin, until the outbreak of the war and the invasion of the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hit ...

made it impossible for him to leave Paris. He joined the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

and was generally unaffected by the Nazis themselves, who allowed him to continue his work without too much interference. He also taught composition at the École Normale de Musique de Paris, where his students included

Yves Ramette Yves Ramette (6 February 1921 – 2 June 2012) was a French post-romantic composer and organist. Biography Yves Ramette was born in 1921 in Bavay, France, where his father was the Director of a Professional Graduate School. From a very young ag ...

. However, he was greatly depressed by the war. Between its outbreak and his death, he wrote his last four symphonies (numbers two to five), which are among the most powerful symphonic works of the 20th century. Of these, the second, for strings, featuring a solo trumpet that plays a chorale tune in the style of

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...

in the final movement, and the third, subtitled ''

Symphonie Liturgique The Symphonie satellites (2 satellites orbited) were the first communications satellites built by France and Germany (and the first to use three-axis stabilization in geostationary orbit with a bipropellant propulsion system) to provide geost ...

'' with three movements that evoke the Requiem Mass ( Dies irae, De profundis clamavi and Dona nobis pacem), is probably the best known. Written in 1946, just after the end of the war, it has parallels with

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

's '' Sinfonia da Requiem'' of 1940. In contrast with this work is the lyrical, nostalgic Symphony No. 4, subtitled "Deliciae Basilienses" ("The Delights of Basel"), written as a tribute to days of relaxation spent in that Swiss city during the war. Honegger was widely known as a train enthusiast and once notably said: "I have always loved locomotives passionately. For me they are living creatures and I love them as others love women or horses." His "mouvement symphonique" ''

'' (a depiction of a steam locomotive) gained him early notoriety in 1923. Many of Honegger's works were championed by his longtime friend Georges Tzipine, who conducted the premiere recordings of some of them (''Cris du Monde'' oratorio, ''Nicolas de Flüe''). In 1953 he wrote his last composition, ''

A Christmas Cantata ''A Christmas Cantata'' (French: ''Une cantate de Noël''; German: ''Eine Weihnachtskantate'') is a Christmas cantata composed by Arthur Honegger in 1953; it is reportedly his last composition. It requires a mixed choir, a baritone soloist, an ...

''. After a protracted illness, he died at home in Paris of a heart attack on 27 November 1955 and was interred in the Saint-Vincent Cemetery in the

Montmartre Montmartre ( , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Right Bank. The historic district established by the City of Paris in 1995 is bordered by Rue C ...

Quarter. He was given a state funeral by the French government, although he remained a Swiss national and never took French citizenship. The principal elements of Honegger's style are Bachian counterpoint, driving rhythms, melodic amplitude, highly coloristic harmonies, an impressionistic use of orchestral sonorities, and a concern for formal architecture. His style is weightier and more solemn than that of his colleagues in Les Six. Far from reacting against German romanticism as the other members of Les Six did, Honegger's mature works show evidence of a distinct influence by it. Despite the differences in their styles, he and fellow Les Six member

Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions ...

were close friends, having studied together at the Paris Conservatoire. Milhaud dedicated his fourth string quintet to Honegger's memory, while Francis Poulenc similarly dedicated his Clarinet Sonata.

Legacy

Honegger was pictured on the Swiss twenty franc banknote (eighth series), issued October 1996 and replaced in 2017. Honegger's symphonic movement ''Rugby'' was recorded with him conducting the Paris Symphony Orchestra in a 1929 electrical recording, which can be heard on YouTube. Many of Honegger's recordings as conductor of his music have been reissued on CD by Pearl and Dutton. The ice hockey player

Doug Honegger Doug Honegger (born February 24, 1968) is a Canadians, Canadian-born Swiss people, Swiss former professional ice hockey defenceman. Born in Montreal, Quebec, Honegger played his entire professional career in Switzerland's National League (ice ho ...

is his grandnephew.

Notable compositions

Opus number In musicology, the opus number is the "work number" that is assigned to a musical composition, or to a set of compositions, to indicate the chronological order of the composer's production. Opus numbers are used to distinguish among composit ...

s originate from the complete catalogue by

Harry Halbreich Harry Halbreich (Berlin, 9 February 1931 – Brussels, 27 June 2016) was a Belgian musicologist.Dust jacket biography of Harry Halbreich from Halbreich (2007).Patrick Szersnovicz. Harry Halbreich (obituary). '' Diapason'', September 2016, No.649 ...

. For a longer list of compositions, see List of compositions by Arthur Honegger. For a list of select recordings, see Arthur Honegger discography. * Orchestral Music : : Symphonies : ::1930 : H 75 First Symphony ::1941 : H 153 Second Symphony for strings and trumpet in D ::1946 : H 186 Third Symphony (''Symphonie Liturgique'') ::1946 : H 191 Fourth Symphony in A (''Deliciae basiliensis'') ::1950 : H 202 Fifth Symphony in D (''Di tre re'') :Symphonic Movements : ::1923 : H 53 ''

'' (Symphonic Movement No. 1) ::1928 : H 67 ''Rugby'' (Symphonic Movement No. 2) ::1933 : H 83 Symphonic Movement No. 3 : Concerti : ::1924 : H 55 Concertino for piano and orchestra in E major ::1929 : H 72 Concerto for cello and orchestra in C major ::1948 : H 196

Concerto da camera Concerto da camera, or in English chamber concerto, originally was one of the two types of concerto grosso, the other being the ''concerto da chiesa'' ("church concert"). The concerto da camera had the character of a suite, being introduced by a ...

, for flute, English horn and strings :Others : ::1917 : H 16 ''Le chant de Nigamon'' ::1920 : H 31 '' Pastorale d'été'' ::1923 : H 47 ''Chant de joie'' (Song of Joy) ::1951 : H 204 ''Monopartita'' * Oratorios : :1921 : H 37 '' Le roi David'' (King David) libretto by René Morax, version for orchestra in 1923 :1935 : H 99 ''

'', libretto by Paul Claudel, version with prologue in 1941 :1938 : H 131 ''La danse des morts'', (The Dance of the Dead) libretto by Paul Claudel :1953 : H 212 '' Une cantate de Noël'' (A Christmas Cantata) * Operas : :1903 : ''Philippa'', not orchestrated, performed, or published :1904 : ''Sigismond'', lost :1907 : ''La Esmeralda'', after

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

's ''

Notre-Dame de Paris Notre-Dame de Paris (; meaning "Our Lady of Paris"), referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the Seine River), in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The cathedral, dedicated to th ...

'', unfinished and unpublished :1918 : ''La mort de sainte Alméenne'', libretto by M. Jacob, unpublished and only Interlude orchestrated :1925 : '' Judith'', libretto by René Morax, premiered at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo on 13 February 1925 :1927 : H 65 '' Antigone'', libretto by

based on

, premiered at La Monnaie on 28 December 1927 * Operettas : :1925 : H 108 '' L'Aiglon'', co-written with Jacques Ibert; libretto for acts 2–4 by H. Cain, after E. Rostand, libretto for acts 1 and 5 by Ibert, Opéra de Monte-Carlo, 10 March 1937 :1930 : '' Les aventures du roi Pausole'', libretto by A. Willemetz, after P. Louÿs, premiered 12 December 1930, Paris, Bouffes-Parisiens :1931 : ''

La belle de Moudon LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...

'', libretto by René Morax, Mézières, Jorat, Switzerland, 30 May 1931, unpublished :1937 : ''Les petites cardinal'', libretto by Willemetz and P. Brach, after L. Halévy, Paris, Bouffes-Parisiens, 13 February 1938 * Ballets : :1918 : H 19 ''Le dit des jeux du monde'' :1921 : H 38 ''Horace victorieux'', symphonie mimée *

Chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small num ...

: :1917 : H 15 String Quartet No. 1 in C minor :1929: H 28 Sonata for Viola and Piano :1935 : H 103 String Quartet No. 2 in D :1937 : H 114 String Quartet No. 3 in E :1945 : H 181 ''Paduana'' for cello solo :1947 : H 193 ''Intrada'' for C trumpet and piano * Piano Solo Works 1910 : Three Pieces (Scherzo, Humoresque, Adagio) :1916 : Toccata and Variation :1915–9 : Three Pieces (Prelude, Homage to Ravel, Danse) :1919–20 : Seven Short Pieces :1920 : Sarabande (for Album de Six) :1923–4 : Le Cahier Romand :1928–9 Hommage to Albert Roussel :1932 : Prelude, Arioso and Fughetta on the name BACH :1941 : Petits Airs sue une basse celebre :1943–4 : Two Sketches

References

External links

* *
Site Arthur Honegger
– The official site on the composer; bilingual (French and English)

Holocaust Music
– discusses the controversy of Honegger's role in the Resistance
Cello Concerto Review

Drama lírico Bíblico, Judith
(audio online y descarga).

– biography of the composer * František Slámabr>Archive
More on the history of the Czech Philharmonic between the 1940s and the 1980s: ''Conductors'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Honegger, Arthur 1892 births 1955 deaths 20th-century classical composers French male classical composers French opera composers Swiss classical composers Ballet composers Male opera composers Neoclassical composers Oratorio composers Academics of the École Normale de Musique de Paris Conservatoire de Paris alumni Grand Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Les Six Musicians from Le Havre Pupils of Vincent d'Indy Zurich University of the Arts alumni 20th-century French male musicians 20th-century Swiss composers

Biography

Legacy

Notable compositions

References

Further reading

External links