Arthur Honegger

"Honegger" redirects here. For other uses, seeHonegger (surname).

Arthur Honegger in 1928

Arthur Honegger(French:[aʁtyʁɔnɛɡɛʁ];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.Honegger was a member ofLes Six.ForHalbreich,Jeanne d'Arc au bûcheris "more even thanLe Roi DavidorPacific 231,his most universally popular work ".

Biography

Plaque at the Honegger home in Le Havre

BornOscar-Arthur Honegger(the first name was never used) to Swiss parents inLe Havre,France, he initially studiedharmonywithRobert-Charles Martin(to whom he dedicated his first published work) and violin in Le Havre. He then moved to Switzerland, where he spent two years (September 1909 – June 1911) at theZurich Conservatorybeing taught byLothar KempterandFriedrich Hegar.In 1911, he enrolled in theParis Conservatoirefrom 1911 to 1918 (except for a brief period during the winter of 1914–1915, when he was mobilised in Switzerland), studying withCharles-Marie Widor,Lucien Capet,André GédalgeandVincent d'Indy.Gédalge encouraged him to compose and Honegger announced his decision to become a composer in a letter to his parents dated 28 April 1915. He then praised his teacher Gédalge and hisTraité de la fugue(1904), "the most complete work ever written on the subject". Gédalge taught his pupils the craft while respecting their ideas and personalities, he went on, and added that while some teachers trained their pupils well to succeed in competitions, "the most advanced musicians in terms of modern spirit were Gédalge's pupils".

Among his notable early works are hisSix Poèmes d'Apollinaire(poems fromAlcools), premiered in 1916 and 1918; 'Hommage à Ravel' from theTrois pièces pour piano(1915);Quatre PoèmesH. 7 (1914–1916);Trois Poèmes dePaul Fort(1916); his very DebussianPrélude pour Aglavaine et Sélysette(inspired byMaurice Maeterlinck's play: the prelude was premiered at the orchestral class in 1917, with a public premiere in 1920);Le Dit des Jeux du monde,commissioned in April 1918 by the Belgian poetPaul Méral,premiered byWalther StraramatJane Bathori'sThéâtre du Vieux-Colombier,in December 1918 (Composed of thirteen short pieces that at times evokeSchönberg,this work dedicated toFernand Ochsé,"caused a scandal comparable in every way to those ofThe Rite of Springor ofParade");Le Chant de Nigamon(1918, public premiere by the Orchestre Pasdeloup in 1920: his first symphonic piece, inspired byGustave Aimard's adventure novelLe Souriquetwith Native American themes (thanks toJulien Tiersot'sNotes d'ethnographie musicale); his first String Quartet, "the composer's first fully accomplished masterpiece" (Halbreich 1992, p. 311) premiered in 1919 by the Quatuor Capelle; music forVérité? Mensonge?,a ballet byAndré Hellé:four out of the ten tableaux were premiered at theSalon d'automne,on 25 November 1920,withYvonne Daunt;and in 1920–1921Pastorale d'étépremiered byVladimir Golschmann.

While at the conservatoire, Honegger befriendedJacques Ibert,thenMilhaud,and then metGermaine Tailleferreand laterGeorges Auricwas well as the pianistAndrée Vaurabourg.The first concert of theNouveaux Jeunestook place at theThéâtre du Vieux-Colombieron 15 January 1918:Jane Bathoriand Andrée Vaurabourg gave theSix Poèmes d'Apollinaire(now complete for the first time). Roland-Manuel was present, Halbreich notes that he might well have been one of the Six, as well asJacques Ibert.Those who would later be known as "Les Six"wanted to create a fresh, French style of composition. Honegger was far from blending in with the group as his style was somewhat more serious (" I don't have a cult for street fairs or the music-hall ", he wrote in a letter toPaul Landormy) and complex. Nevertheless, this association was important in establishing his reputation in the Parisian music scene. Honegger collaborated with the other members of Les Six only in 1920 (with a short 'Sarabande' forL'Album des Six), and 1921 (with a 'Marche funèbre' forLes mariés de la tour Eiffel,and finally in 1952 (with a 'Toccata' forLa Guirlande de Campra).

Honegger'sSonata for cello and pianoH. 32 composed in 1920 was premiered in 1921 byDiran Alexanianet Andrée Varabourg: it « should be part of every cellist's repertoire » (Halbreich 1992, p. 330). He also wroteDanse de la chèvre(1921), which has become a staple in the flute repertoire. The work is dedicated toRené Le Royand written for solo flute.

Loie Fullerdanced on three of the dances ofLe Dit des Jeux du mondeearly in 1921.Also in 1921Ernest Ansermetconducted the avant-garde music of the ballet-pantomimeHorace victorieuxin Lausanne (in a concert version). It evokes the fight of theHoratii and Curiatiiand concludes with Camilla's death. Still in 1921,René Moraxcommissioned Honegger to writeLe Roi David:he completed his score in two months, and on 11 June the 'dramatic psalm' (written as incidental music) was triumphantly received. On 13 March 1924, Honegger shot to fame when the French version re-orchestrated for large orchestra ofLe Roi Davidwas performed in Paris under the baton ofRobert Siohan.It is still in the choral repertoire. "MakingLe Roi Davidinto an oratorio [or a 'psaume symphonique'] is one of the key events in the musical life of the first half of the 20th century, "musicologist Mathieu Ferey wrote in the booklet for the recording ofLe roi Davidby Daniel Reuss (Mirare). In this version, the spoken voices are replaced by a narrator, but the instrumentation remains the same: the work is written for the seventeen instruments available at the Théâtre du Jorat: no strings except for a double bass, winds, percussion, piano, harmonium and celesta. It was conducted byGeorges Martin Witkowskiin Lyon in January 1923 and is still played and recorded today.

Honegger's works were played in the US from 1921 whenRudolph GanzdirectedHoraceandPastorale d'été.

In 1922, Honegger became one of the first major composers (after Camille Saint-Saëns) to write music specifically for films. His score (of which only the 'Ouverture' remains) for the silent film "La Roue"(1923) by Abel Gance marked the beginning of his long involvement with film music. 1922 He had met Gance through the French writerRicciotto Canudo,an advocate of cinema as the "Seventh Art". He worked for Gance again in 1927 forNapoleonand in 1943 forCaptain Fracasse.

1922 is also the year Honegger lost his mother (in February) and father (in September).

In 1923, Honegger composed a short piece which was to become one of this most often recorded works:Pacific 2.3.1,for the Concerts Koussevitzky at the Opéra de Paris in May 1924– althoughSerge Koussevitzkywas already music director of theBoston Symphony Orchestra.The music captures the interest of the casual music lover as it mimics the sounds and motion of a steam locomotive – Honegger said "I have always loved locomotives passionately. For me they are living creatures…" but for the composer, the main point was to "giv[e] the impression of a mathematical acceleration of rhythm, while the movement itself slows down.""

Chanson de RonsardH.54 (on Ronsard's 'Plus tu connais que je brûle pour toi',composed to mark the 450th anniversary of the poet's birth, exists in a version for voice and piano (premiered by Claire Croiza, 1924), and above all for voice, flute and string quartet (Régine de Lormoy, 1925).

Another significant work was "Judith" for René Morax's play, which continued his interest in religious themes. It was premiered as a biblical drama in December 1924 or January 1925 at theThéâtre du Jorat,then reworked as an "opéra sérieux" (1926, Monte-Carlo), and finally became an oratorio (1927, Rotterdam). It is dedicated toClaire Croiza(the mother of his son Jean-Claude, 1926–2003) who sang the part of Judith in the first version. Halbreich (p. 550) says that "Judith is full of marvellous, inspired music although the whole piece is imperfect."

In 1922, Honegger had written a very brief piece of incidental music forJean Cocteau'sAntigonebased on thetragedyby Sophocles. The composer then developed it between 1924 and 1927 for the operaAntigonewhich premiered on 28 December 1927 at the Théâtre Royal dela MonnaieunderMaurice Corneil de Thoran's baton, with sets designed byPablo Picassoand costumes byCoco Chanel.It is dedicated to "Vaura":Andrée Vaurabourg.

In 1926, he married Andrée Vaurabourg, a pianist and fellow student at theParis 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.

In 1928 Honegger composed a new symphonic movement called "Rugby," inspired by the sport. The music reflects "the attacks and counter-attacks of the game, the rhythm and colour of a match at the Colombe stadium", according to the composer himself.La Tempête,incidental music for Shakespeare's play, was composed between 1923 and 1929 and premiered in 1929.

In December 1930, at theThéâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens,the first of Honegger's three operettas,Les Aventures du roi Pausole,revealing a Honegger full of humour, was a huge success with no less than 800 performances according to Halbreich (p. 671) The composer admitted to having three models here: Mozart, Chabrier and Messager (p. 671). In 1932Les Cris du monde,an oratorio on a text by René Bizet (1887–1947) inspired (loosely) by John Keats' sonnet 'To Solitude', expressed Honegger's great pessimism: it was a warning against "everything that contributes to the loss of the soul and the death of the individual"including pollution, noise, mass culture, etc.

TheSymphony No. 1composed in 1929–30, was premiered in Boston and then in Paris in 1931. It is described by Harry Halbreich as "written in a language that is rougher and less spare than the following ones, despite a perfectly mastered form, at the crossroads of youth and maturity".Mouvement symphonique No 3(composed in 1932–1933) was premiered in March 1933 by those who commissioned it:Wilhelm Furtwänglerand theBerlin Philharmonic.G. K. Spratt thought it was his best symphonic piece so far.

From 1925 onwards (L'Impératrice aux rocherswith very Fauréan passages), the patronIda Rubinstein(a former dancer with the Ballets Russes) financed several works by Honegger, who collaborated withPaul ValéryforAmphion(1931), as well as the balletSémiramis(1934), created by Ida Rubinstein at the Opéra. The former is best remembered for the composer'sPrelude, Fugue et Postlude(first performed in 1948).

Honegger also collaborated withSerge LifarforIcare(1935) for percussion and double bass, then forLe Cantique des cantiques,premiered in 1938. On this occasion the choreographer published his manifestoLa Danse et la Musique(Revue Musicale,March 1938) in which he claimed the pre-eminence of dancers and choreographers in the conception of ballets.

L'Aiglon,drame lyrique (on a libretto byHenri Cainbased onEdmond Rostand's 1900 play,L'Aiglon"), about the life ofNapoleon II,was written in collaboration avecJacques Ibertin 1936 and premiered in 1937. Kent Nagano released a good CD recording of it in 2016. With the same composer (Ibert) Honegger wrote the operettaLes Petites Cardinal,in the same vein asLe Roi Pausole(Bouffes-Parisiens, 1938).He also wrote a very short piano piece with an original title in English,Scenic Railwayin 1937, premiered in 1938. It was his contribution to a collaborative work,Parc d'Attractions – Expo. 1937: Hommage àMarguerite Long.

He remained active in the field of film music, notably with scores for Raymond Bernard's "Les Misérables"(1934), Pierre Chenal'sCrime and Punishment;Les Mutinés de l'Elseneurand Anatole Litvak'sMayerling(1936 film) p648, in collaboration withMaurice Jaubert(1936); andPygmalion(1938). In 1939, the film score forLove Cavalcadewas written partly by Milhaud (La cheminée du roi Renéis a suite drawn from his score) and partly by Honegger (HisO Salutarisfor voice, piano and organ or just organ (premiered in 1943) is derived from this work).

TheQuartet n° 3,"unquestionably the pinnacle of his chamber music" forJacques Tchamkertenwas also composed in 1936–37; it was premiered in October 1937 by thePro Arte Quartet.It had been commissioned byElizabeth Sprague Coolidge.After this work, Honegger stopped writing chamber music, with only a few exceptions.

On a new commission from Ida Rubinstein he wrote a "dramaticoratorio",Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher,to a libretto byPaul Claudel,premiered byPaul Sacherin Basel in 1938. It is thought of as one of his finest works,blending spoken word, music, and choral elements to tell the story ofJoan of Arc.It remains one of his most frequently performed compositions. There is a DVD version recorded by Don Kent.

ForLe Chant du Monde,he harmonized several French folk songs recorded under Désormière's direction:La femme du marin(CdM 513, May 1938) andLes trois princesses au pommier doux(CdM 520, October 1938) and two of his works were recorded, again by Désormière:Jeunesserecorded by the Chorale de la jeunesse, with an orchestra directed byRoger Désormière(CdM 501, fév 1938) andPetite suite en trois parties.

Things were not all good during the 1930s: in 1932, Honegger published "Pour prendre congé", an article in which he complained that his music was not understood, he felt he was on a dead end. When Hitler came to power, Honegger's works were banned (in Germany and later in the countries that were annexed). In 1934, Vaura was seriously injured a car accident – Honegger escaped without serious injury. Above all, the political climate in Europe was increasingly tense. In 1937, Honegger had writtenJeunessefor the Fédération musicale populaire: it was a song celebrating the singing tomorrows after the success of theFront Populaire.The lyrics were byPaul Vaillant-Couturier,a journalist atL'Humanitéwho tried to alert people to the realities of Hitler's regime and founded the firstMaison de la culture(which included the Fédération musicale populaire) in France. Honegger took a clear stand against the Nazi regime in the June 1939 issue of the magazineClarté:"He who creates cannot reconcile his dignity as an artist with the enslavement that fascism imposes".In 1931 Honegger, like many musicians and intellectuals, had already expressed his support for the manifesto for peace published inNotre tempswhich concluded with: "It is therefore important that this country [France], made so rich by its past achievements, should dare to proclaim that the new Europe and a Franco-German entente, which is its keystone, can only arise from agreements freely entered into by their pacified populations."

Arthur Honegger, as portrayed bySerge Ivanoff,Paris, 1944

During World War II, Honegger, although he was Swiss, chose to remain in Paris, which was under Nazi occupation from 14 June 1940 to 24 August 1944. Honegger initially fled south, but returned to Paris at the end of October 1940. Nevertheless, he was allowed to continue his work without too much interference and even to travel abroad several times during the war years, mostly to conduct his music – only twice to Switzerland, and without his family.

In March 1940, in Basel, Sacher premiered the sacred oratorioLa Danse des morts,whose libretto was by Paul Claudel (and based on the Bible), and it was a great success.It was commissioned by Paul Sacher and the music was written between July and November 1938. In April 1940, the first of three radio plays for "Radio Lausanne" was broadcast, based on a text by the actorWilliam Aguet:"Christophe Colomb", the score of which dates from 1940 (and which can be heard in English on YouTube). Two more radio plays were written under the same conditions:Battements du monde(1944) andSaint François d'Assise(1949). The premiere ofNicholas of Flüe,composed in 1938–39 and scheduled for Zurich, finally took place in Solothurn, not far from Bern, in October 1940. The oratorio, written to the glory of the patron saint of Switzerland,Nicholas of Flüe,based on the work ofDenis de Rougemont,was inspired by the euphoria triggered (initially) by the Munich agreements – which stirred the composer's pacifist feelings. "Honegger excelled in these large-scale frescoes that require a powerful breath. Rising very high, while retaining the popular character that befits them, he knew how to put into them as much poetry as familiar grandeur," wrote the critic ofLe Monde.The composition of theSonata for solo violinpremiered later by Christian Ferras (1953 Decca recording on YouTube) dates from the same period.

In 1941 Honegger became a music critic forComœdia,from its first to its last issue on 5 August 1944 (his contributions became irregular after the issue of 16 October 1943, perhaps due to his exclusion from the Front National des Musiciens).Comœdiawas a journal of cultural information more or less dependent on the occupation authorities. Some time later, Honegger joined theFront National des Musiciens,a resistance organisation founded within the Communist Party: he later considered that he had been co-opted because he wrote inComœdia,to defend French music.

1941 saw the premiere ofTrois poèmes de Claudel(written in 1939–1940) byPierre Bernacand Poulenc, "the pinnacle of the composer's entire melodic oeuvre" (H358) "; the composition ofPetit cours de moraleon extracts from the novelSuzanne et le Pacifiqueby Jean Giraudoux, premiered in 1942; and above all the writing of the second symphony.

The composer returned to incidental music with two small works premiered on 2 April 1941:La Mandragore(for Machiavelli's playThe Mandrake) andPrélude et postlude pour 'L'Ombre de la Ravine'(for Synge'sIn the Shadow of the Glen).

Honegger was later criticised for accepting an invitation from the Third Reich to attend the celebrations in Vienna for the 150th anniversary of Mozart's death, but it was on this occasion that he brought out of France the score of his second symphony (written in 1941–1942), which had been commissioned by the patron and yet conductorPaul Sacher,and which was premiered in Zurich in 1942 under Sacher's direction. TheSymphony No. 2is a work for strings and trumpet, and it reflects the dark and oppressive atmosphere of the war years, but the atmosphere changes in its final movement and finally offers a glimmer of hope with the introduction of a trumpet – about one minute from the end of the symphony. Halbreich considers it as the 'supreme masterpiece of its composer' and adds that it is one of his most frequently recorded pieces, along withPacific 231.

On 3 February 1942, another event for which he was later reproached took place: he attended a reception at the Hotel Ritz organized by Heinz Schmidtke, head of thePropaganda-Abteilung Frankreichsection, given in honor ofHeinz Drewes"and attended by various personalities from the Parisian musical world".Drewes was head of Division X (in charge of music) of theReichsministerium für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda.Some suspected that Honegger had taken advantage of the situation to further his own interests, but Halbreich makes light of this accusation.

Works from this year include theThree Psalms,completed in January 1941 and premiered in April 1942. At the same time, he was working on hisPassion deSelzach,based on a libretto by his compatriotCäsar von Arx.The work begun in 1938, resumed in 1940–41 and again in 1942 and December 1944, finally came to nothing, but Honegger reused part of his work in theCantate de Noël.

In May 1942, Paul Sacher conducted the premiere of theSecond Symphonyin Zurich. In June 1942, a whole series of concerts took place to celebrate the composer's fiftieth birthday. Of particular note was the concert at whichCharles Münchconducted the French premiere of theSecond Symphony,followed byJoan of Arc at the stake.In October, he wrote the score requested by resistance fighterPierre Blancharfor his filmSecrets.He collaborated again with Blanchar, when he wrote the score ofUn seul amourthe following summer.

Among the important events of 1943 were the recording ofJeanne d'Arc au bûcheron disc byLodewijk de Vochtand the premiere ofAntigoneat the Opéra de Paris – but for only seventeen performances between 1943 and 1952. Honegger also wrote small pieces forHenry de Montherlant's playPasiphaé(1936), Claudel'sLe Soulier de Satin,as well as a few very short works for six trombone players and percussions,Sodome et Gomorre,for Giraudoux's playSodom and Gomorrah.

The premiere recording of hisCello Concerto(composed in 1929 and premiered in 1930) was also made in 1943 by dedicatee and premiere performerMaurice Maréchalunder the composer's baton.

Moreover, Honegger composed a score for the filmMermozbased on the life of the aviatorJean Mermoz(mai 1943), and extracted two orchestral suites, "one of the most beautiful scores Honegger ever wrote for the cinema".He also composed for Abel Gance'sLe Capitaine Fracassejust before Gance had to flee to Spain in August 1943. The piano score was recorded byJean-Francois Antoniolibut the full orchestra score seems to be lost. He also wrote a score forCallisto, la petite nymphe de Diane,an animated cartoon byAndré Édouard Marty,in collaboration withRoland-Manuel.

Finally, he wrote the music for a ballet,L'appel de la montagne,which was premiered only in July 1945.

Honegger was expelled from the Front national des musiciens in 1943, maybe in September or October, presumably because he was considered too close to the enemy. Writing inComœdia(now considered too collaborationist) now worked against him...

From January 1944, Honegger composed his music for the radio playBattements du mondeand wrote several short pieces forCharles le téméraire(Charles the Bold), which premiered at the Théâtre du Jorat in May. He composed the 3rd and 4th songs ofQuatre chansons pour voix grave.Songs n°2 (text byWilliam Aguet), n°3 (onPaul Verlaine's 'Un grand sommeil noir') and n°4 (onPierre de Ronsard's 'La terre les eaux va buvant') were premiered in May 1944 by Ginette Guillamat (1911–1999) andPierre Sancan,at the Salle du Conservatoire. The first song, based on a text by Arshag Chobanian, was not composed until December 1945. Then there was the composition of the 'Prologue' toJeanne au bûcher– the work with its prologue was premiered only in February 1946, in Brussels. The other musical event of the year was, in March, the completion of the recording ofSymphonie n°2by his friendCharles Münch;the first part of the recording had taken place in October 1942.

Two more significant events took place: firstly, the death of his friendMax Jacobwho was arrested by the Gestapo in February and transferred to theDrancy internment camp.He died before the next convoy left for Auschwitz. Then, only a few days before the liberation of Paris,LouiseandFernand Ochséwere arrested in Cannes, in July. When they were driven to Drancy, Honegger did his best on their behalf, in vain.

After theliberation of Parisand ofFrance,Honegger, a Swiss citizen, was not exactly "épuré"(tried). Although he was not officially reproached for anything, it so happened that his works disappeared from concert programmes.

From January 1945 (and until April 1946), Honegger began work on his third symphony, calledSymphonie liturgique,dedicated to Münch, who conducted its premiere in Zurich in 1946. The three movements take their titles from the parts of theRequiem Mass(like Britten's earlierSinfonia da Requiem):Dies irae,De profundis clamaviandDona nobis pacem.Honegger evokes war, then what remains in man that drives him to elevate himself, and finally what the composer calls "the inevitable rise of the stupidity of the world" – before, in the final few bars, "the symphony ends with an – alas! – utopian evocation of what life could be like in mutual brotherhood and love" says Honegger whose voice was recorded.

According toRené Dumesnil,theSymphonie liturgiqueachieves a grandeur to which very few musicians have attained ":it was "for about ten years one of the most performed works of contemporary music".Halbreich sees the 'De profundis' as "one of the highest peaks of his work".

Apart from this symphony, he also wrote aMorceau de concours pour violon et piano(a competition piece) in June, in time for the Conservatoire exams (but good enough to have been recorded): he was a member of the boards of examiners of the Conservatoire and theÉcole Normale de Musique de Paris– although he started teaching (at the ENM) only in 1946; a short piece for cello solo,Paduanain July, a "truly superb piece" for Halbreich ";he also set to music a poem by painterHenri Martin(1860–1943),Ô temps, suspends ton vol(the title echoes a line from 'Le Lac', a famous poem by Lamartine) for voice and piano;and, in December, the last of theQuatre Chansons pour voix grave(which became the first).

By August 1945 Honegger was back at the Paris Opéra, withL'Appel de la Montagne,"a ballet that is both folkloric and fairytale-like, set in the pre-Romantic era and in the setting of the Bernese Alps"to a libretto byRobert Favre Le Bret.The music used popular Swiss and Scottish themes. It featuredYvette ChauviréandSerge Peretti,dancer and choreographer.The press widely echoed it, and the critic ofL'Epoque,Maurice Brillantwrote: "This is the first novelty given by the Opéra since the Liberation: it is worthy of the honour.".Honegger then produced a concert suite from it,Jour de Fête suisse.

Honegger again returned to ballet music by composing two tableaux (I and IV) of the balletChota RoustavelionNikolai Evreinov's libretto based on the poem by the great Georgian poetShota Rustaveli(c. 1160 – after c. 1220),The Knight in the Panther's Skin,withAlexander Tcherepnin(act II) andTibor Harsányi(act III), with a rhythmic base provided by Serge Lifar (Monte-Carlo, May 1946).

He also composed some film music, for Raymond Bernard'sUn ami viendra ce soir(released in 1946):Souvenir de ChopinandChant de la Délivranceare part of this score (although the latter had been composed earlier). His other film score was forYves Allégret'sLes démons de l'aube(1946), written in collaboration with his friendArthur Hoérée.

1946 was marked by numerous trips in France and Europe, including during his holidays in Switzerland. In May, Claire Croiza died. In June, Honegger began his fourth symphony. In November he began giving classes at theÉcole Normale de Musique de Paris,where his students includedYves Ramette.

He composed several pieces of incidental music (Prométhéefor Aeschylus'Prometheus Bound;Hamletfor a performance of the play inAndré Gide's new translation) and a score forChristian-Jaque'sUn revenant.He also wrote a score for four ondes Martenot forSortilèges,a ballet based on a storyline byLeyla Bedir Khan,first performed in summer 1946 at theComédie des Champs-Elysées,but it is unfortunately lost.

His most important work, though, was that on hisSymphony No. 4subtitled "Deliciae Basilienses" ( "The Delights of Basel" ), dedicated to his friend Paul Sacher. It is "a kind ofPastoral Symphonythat pays tribute both to the beautiful city ofBasel,bathed by the Rhine and where life is good, and to the friendship that bound the Swiss composer to the patron and conductor Paul Sacher ".Completed in October, it was premiered by the dedicatee, in Basel, in January 1947. At the end of the second movement, the solo horn quotesFranz Abt's setting of Basel-bornJohann Peter Hebel's poem "Z'Basel, a mim Rhi", and two minutes before the end of the third movement Honegger describes a carnival march: this is an evocation ofGuggenmusik,typical brass bands ofGerman-speaking Switzerlandusing the piccolo and theBasel drum,before a phrase full of nostalgia followed by a brief mocking farewell.

There was one more (short) piece written in December:Mimaamaquim,for voice (originally for Madeleine Martinetti's deep contralto voice) and piano. It was orchestrated in June 1947. According to Halbreich, it is (at least the version with orchestra) "one of the peaks of his work" in which he finds "the typical intonations of synagogue chant".

During the first months of 1947, Honegger was bursting with activity as his works were given in concert all over Europe. In April 1947, he found the time to compose a competition piece,Intrada,for trumpet and piano. In June he wrote some incidental music,Œdipe,for Sophocles'Oedipus Rex,which was premiered in December 1947.

Honegger was then invited bySerge Koussevitzkyat the beginning of July to give summer courses at theTanglewood Music Center,following which he planned to go on tour throughout the US, then to Mexico and South America, where he was well-known thanks toJane Bathori,who had madeLe roi DavidandJudithknown. A fortnight after he arrived, however, he suffered a heart attack that left him bedridden. A month later he suffered a massive heart attack. The composer nevertheless managed to recover and he returned to Paris on 15 November. He did not return to work until spring 1948.

In the spring of 1948, Honegger wrotePrélude, Fugue, Postlude,a suite afterAmphion,premiered in November by Ansermet, then left for his first water cure atBagnoles-de-l'Ornewhere he worked a little. Next came theConcerto da camerafor flute, English horn and strings, finished in October 1948 and premiered in 1949, an "exquisite masterpiece".In October, he wrote incidental music (the score of which is lost) for Albert Camus's playThe State of Siege,directed byJean-Louis Barrault.In November, in Genoa, he resumed his conducting career, which he was to give up a year later (except in 1951 when he conducted the Orchestre National De LaRadiodiffusion FrançaiseinLe Roi Davidin a recording studio, forDucretet Thomson).

In June 1949, he completed a score for a final radio play in collaboration with Aguet,Saint-François d'Assise,whose broadcast was announced byLe Monde:"... this musico-literary radio work, specially noticed and recommended by thePremio Italiapanel and premiered by Radio-Lausanne in June 1949, will be transmitted live from Lausanne by the national program this evening, Friday 2 December at 9 pm. Its performance will feature theOrchestre de la Suisse Romande,conducted by Ernest Ansermet, the Montreux choir and theRadio-théâtre de Lausannetroupe ".This is, for Halbreich, "the most important and the most beautiful" of his collaborations with Aguet.

In 1949, he resumed his frenetic pace, leaving him time to compose only two new radio plays:Marche contre la mort,byAntoine de Saint-Exupéry,in tribute toHenri Guillaumet,whose plane was shot down on 27 November 1940, andTête d'or,adapted fromClaudel's playwhich he completed in January 1950.

By 1950, his health had deteriorated again. Nevertheless, he wrote a score for a documentary film,Bourdelle(about thesculptor,obviously), by René Lucot; another score for the documentaryPaul Claudel,Paul Claudel's interview withJean Amrouchefilmed by André Gillet;and above all a new symphony, and a suite.

TheSymphonie n° 5,written from August to December, premiered in 1951, is subtitled "Di tre re" (which refers to the three D notes at the end of each movement). It is marked by a stark and somber tone, reflecting the author's belief that the end of civilization was near: the work ends with a vision of nothingness.

On 18 December, "Jeanne d'Arc au Bûcher" finally entered the repertoire of the Paris Opera, under the direction of Louis Fourestier. The event was once again hailed byLe Monde:"Jeanne au bûcher,in the stage version and in French, achieved in December 1950 one of the greatest, most spontaneous successes ever seen at this theatre ".

In the first quarter of 1951, despite his increasingly failing health, Honegger still managed to compose an important orchestral piece,Monopartita,followed, at the end of the year, by two very short pieces forLa rédemption deFrançois Villon,a radio play byJosé Bruyras well as hisToccata sur un thème de Campra,his contribution toLa Guirlande de Campra,as well as a film score for Georges Rony's documentaryLa tour de Babel(1951) with the collaboration ofTibor Harsányiand Arthur Hoérée.

At the suggestion ofHenri Büsser,Florent SchmittandJ.-G. Domergue,he was elected foreign associate member of the music section of theAcadémie des Beaux-Artson 3 April 1952.

In April 1952, he completed a final stage score forOedipus Rex,this time inThierry Maulnier's translation, premiered at theComédie-Françaisein May.

At the end of 1952, despite his health problems, he began to reorganise work he had done for an abortedPassion deSelzachproject. This becameA Christmas Cantata,premiered in Basel by his friend Sacher in December. The French premiere, on 10 January 1954, was celebrated inLe MondebyRené Dumesnil.

After a long stay in Switzerland, he managed to return to Paris in June 1954, when "Jeanne d'Arc au Bûcher" was about to be revived at the Opéra, directed by Roberto Rossellini and starring Ingrid Bergman: this was the versionfilmedin 1956.

In December 1954, he was made a "Grand Officier de la Légion d'honneur".

Early 1955 saw the recording ofArthur Honegger vous parle et présente son œuvre(Honneger speaks to you and presents his work; see on YouTube, in French).

Arthur Honegger died in his studio, 71boulevard de Clichy,on 27 November 1955. His funeral took place on 2 December 1955 at theOratoire du Louvre,in the presence of a representative of French PresidentRené Cotyand ofElisabeth,Queen of the Belgians. The eulogy was delivered by PastorFritz Münch,director of the Strasbourg Conservatory and brother of friend Charles Münch, to the sound of the "lamento" from theDanse des mortsand the "Alleluia' fromLe Roi David.During the cremation atPère Lachaise Cemetery,several personalities made speeches, including Jean Cocteau. The urn passed between a hedge ofRepublican Guardspresenting arms (although he remained a Swiss national and never took French citizenship), and was then taken toSaint-Vincent Cemetery,in the Montmartre district, where it is now placed under a simple tombstone.

The Paris Opéra paid tribute to him on 18 December 1955 with theSymphonie n°3conducted byLouis Fourestier,followed byJeanne au Bûcher,withClaude Nollier,creator of the role.In November 1956, his friendsGeorges Tzipine,Fernand OubradousandArthur Hoéréeorganized a series of concertsfeaturing works by Honegger, and theQuintet No. 4 for 2 violins, viola and 2 cellos,Op. 350, composed by his friend Darius Milhaud and dedicated to Honegger. In 1962, Poulenc, too, dedicated "à la mémoire de Arthur Honegger" one of the last pieces he completed, hisClarinet Sonata.

Many of Honegger's works were championed by his longtime friendGeorges Tzipine,who conducted the premiere recordings of some of them (Cris du Monde,Nicolas de Flüe).

Honegger'sdiscographyis very extensive.

Style

The principal elements of Honegger's style are Bachiancounterpoint,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 inLes 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. "I place great importance on musical architecture", he wrote, "which I would never want to see sacrificed for literary or pictorial reasons. I have a perhaps exaggerated tendency to seek polyphonic complexity. My great model is J. S. Bach. I am not aiming, as some anti-impressionist composers do, for a return to harmonic simplicity. On the contrary, I believe we should use the harmonic materials developed by the school that preceded us, but in a different way—as a base for lines and rhythms. Bach makes use of the elements of tonal harmony, just as I wish to make use of modern harmonic overlays. I do not subscribe to the cult of the Music Hall or of the street fair; on the contrary, I am committed to chamber music and symphonic music in their most serious and austere aspects).

Despite the differences in their styles, he and fellow Les Six memberDarius Milhaudwere close friends, having studied together at theParis Conservatoire(as well as Taillefer). Milhaud dedicated his fourth string quintet to Honegger's memory, whileFrancis Poulencsimilarly dedicated hisClarinet Sonata.

"The work of composer Arthur Honegger stands out for its great diversity, ranging from tonality to atonality, without forgetting polytonality, using all registers, and respecting both the achievements of the past and the contributions of his contemporaries… he is not classifiable in any school.".This diversity in reality reflects an artistic journey whose coherence comes from the deep conviction that music is a true means of communication with the public. Halbreich notes that afterAntigone,"The need to communicate took precedence over all others, and in his freely chosen mission as" musician in the city of men "Honegger considered the maintenance of an esoteric and avant-garde language as a narcissistic luxury contrary to his humanist demands, even if the aesthetes of art for art's sake suffered and disapproved of his choice. His only subsequent attempt at opera,L'Aiglon,was aimed at the immediate (and, it was accepted, perhaps ephemeral) approval of a vast popular audience, not that of a hypothetical and elitist posterity ".It is for this reason that Honegger often aspired to a music free from too much formalism, too much seduction, and above all, in general, from musical habits. All his life he feared the danger of cultural habits, of different forms of collective consciousness (Cris du monde,1931, the subject of which is "the revolt of the individual against the crowd that crushes him" according to Honegger,Plans,December 1931). This fear was justified by his ideology of authentic and above all meaningful music, capable of carrying a message, sometimes even a philosophical one as in hisSymphony No. 3,1945, which, according to the composer, "musically depicts the struggle in the heart of man between abandonment to the blind forces that enslave him and the instinct for happiness, the love of peace, the feeling of divine refuge".

The diversity of his works is therefore easy to understand: what each of them had to say in a new way required, in his eyes, a new language. He thus explored different genres and techniques, taking an equal interest inClaude Debussy's orGabriel Fauré's harmony,Igor Stravinsky's rhythm,Beethovenianform,Arnold Schoenberg's genius – excludingserialism– inLe Dit des Jeux du Monde.He also made use of new instruments, or instruments used in new ways: He also made use of new instruments, or instruments used in new ways: the bowed instruments invented by Léo Sir inHymne;thesawinAntigone(1927),tam-tam(Pacific 231and many other pieces), three saxophones inJeanne d'Arc au bûcher,a bouteillophone (bottles filled with varying amounts of water) for No. 7 ofDit des Jeux du Monde,a piece for solo percussion; and even electronic instruments such as theondes Martenot(inJeanne d'Arc au bûcher,played byMaurice Martenothimself at the premiere in 1938, but already used in films such asBerthold Bartosch'sL'Idée,1934).

The apparent simplicity of some passages of his music masks the work he did on each passage of his major works in the sense of objectivity, i.e. the strictly musical coherence of the piece: everything depends on it, including the complexity of the techniques, which, according to him, should only be pushed if necessary, as inHorace Victorieux(1921, "his most radical and daring masterpiece",or in his symphonies. The complexity and, above all, the interest of his main compositions lies in the work of relative objectivity. He often played on the scope of the subjects he dealt with. He sought to reach a profound and universal dimension of humanity. This is why his religious works (he was a Protestant) go beyond the strict framework of religion to reach a more universal and human dimension. This explains the success ofJoan of Arc at the stake,for example. This did not stop him from sometimes being more concerned with reacting to the culture of his time, as inPacific 231(1923), for example, where Honegger was nevertheless careful not to fall into the anecdote ofnoise music.

Legacy

Honegger was pictured on the Swisstwenty franc banknote(eighth series), issued October 1996 and replaced in 2017.

Honegger's symphonic movementRugbywas recorded with him conducting theParis Symphony Orchestrain a 1929 electrical recording.Many of Honegger's recordings as conductor of his music have been reissued on CD by Pearl and Dutton.

For Honegger's notable students, seeList of music students by teacher: G to J § Arthur Honegger.

The ice hockey playerDoug Honeggeris his grandnephew.

Notable compositions

Opus numbersoriginate from the complete catalogue byHarry Halbreich.For a longer list of compositions, seeList of compositions by Arthur Honegger.For a list of select recordings, seeArthur Honegger discography.

• Orchestral music:

Symphonies:

1930:H 75First Symphony

1941:H 153Second Symphony for strings and trumpet in D

1946:H 186Third Symphony (Symphonie Liturgique)

1946:H 191Fourth Symphony in A (Deliciae basilienses)

1950:H 202Fifth Symphony in D (Di tre re)

Symphonic movements:

1923:H 53Pacific 231(Symphonic Movement No. 1)

1928:H 67Rugby(Symphonic Movement No. 2)

1933:H 83Symphonic MovementNo. 3

Concerti:

1924:H 55Concertino for piano and orchestrain E major

1929:H 72Concerto for cello and orchestra in C major

1933:H 71APrélude, Fugue et Postlude (Honegger)

1948:H 196Concerto da camera,for flute, English horn and strings

Others:

1917:H 10Prélude pour Aglavaine et Sélysette

1917:H 16Le Chant de Nigamon

1920:H 31Pastorale d'été

1923:H 47Chant de joie(Song of Joy)

1951:H 204Monopartita

• Oratorios:

1921:H 37Le roi David(King David) libretto byRené Morax,version for orchestra in 1923

1931:H 71Amphion (Honegger)

1935:H 99Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher,libretto byPaul Claudel,version with prologue in 1941

1938:H 131La danse des morts,(The Dance of the Dead) libretto byPaul Claudel

1939:H 135Nicolas de Flue (oratorio)

1953:H 212Une cantate de Noël(A Christmas Cantata)

• Operas:

1903:Philippa,not orchestrated, performed, or published

1904:Sigismond,lost

1907:La Esmeralda,afterVictor Hugo'sThe Hunchback of Notre-Dame,unfinished and unpublished

1918:La mort de sainte Alméenne,libretto by M. Jacob, unpublished and only Interlude orchestrated

1925:Judith,libretto byRené Morax,premiered at theOpéra de Monte-Carloon 13 February 1925

1927:H 65Antigone,libretto byJean Cocteaubased onSophocles,premiered atLa Monnaieon 28 December 1927

• Operettas:

1925:H 108L'Aiglon,co-written withJacques 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,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 19Le dit des jeux du monde

1921:H 38Horace victorieux,symphonie mimée

1922:H 40Skating-Rink

• Chamber music:

1912:H 3Sonate pour violon et piano no 0 de Honegger

1914:H 6Trio en fa mineur pour violon, violoncelle et piano

1917:H 13Rhapsodie pour deux flûtes, clarinette et piano

1917:H 15String Quartet No. 1in C minor

1918:H 17Sonata for Violin and Piano No.1

1920:H 24Sonata for Violin and Piano No.2

1929:H 28Sonata for Viola and Piano

1935:H 103String Quartet No. 2in D

1937:H 114String Quartet No. 3 in E

1945:H 181Paduanafor cello solo

1947:H 193Intradafor C trumpet and piano

• Piano solo works

1910:H 1Three Pieces (Scherzo, Humoresque, Adagio)

1916:H 8Toccata and Variation

1915–9:H 23Three Pieces (Prelude, Homage to Ravel, Danse)

1919–20:H 25Seven Short Pieces

1920:H 26Sarabande (for Album de Six)

1923–4:H 52Le Cahier romand

1928–9:H 69Hommage à Albert Roussel

1932:H 81Prelude, Arioso and Fughettaon the name BACH

1941:H 145Petits Airs sur une basse célèbre

1943–4:H 173Deux Esquisses pour piano (Two Sketches)

• Melodies

1917:H 12Six poèmes (Honegger)de Guillaume Apollinaire

1917:H 11Nature morte (Honegger)

• Organ

1917H 14Fugue et Choral (Honegger)

Further reading

• Honegger's biographer wasMarcel Landowski,the French composer and arts administrator, who was greatly influenced by Honegger. His biography appeared in 1978 (ISBN2-02-000227-2) although it has yet to be translated into English.
• Harry Halbreich.Arthur Honegger,translated into English by Roger Nichols. Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press, 1992. Considers both Honegger's life and works. With the cooperation of Honegger's daughter Pascale; Halbreich has fully documented Honegger's life since childhood. All works are treated, more significant ones analyzed in detail.ISBN1-57467-041-7(1999).
• Geoffrey Spratt.The Music of Arthur Honegger.Cork University Press, 1987. Spratt also wrote the entry in Grove Music Online (2001).
• Willy Tappolet.Arthur Honegger.Zurich: Atlantis Verlag, 1954. Honegger made scathing remarks on this book.
• Arthur Honegger,Incantation aux fossiles(Incantation to fossils), Editions d'Ouchy (Lausanne), 1948 (Some of his articles in Comœdia promoting French contemporary music). Gallica:[4](in French).
• Arthur Honegger,Je suis compositeur,Paris: Éditions du Conquistador, 1951 /I Am a Composer,London: Faber and Faber, 1966 / New York: St. Martin's Press, 1966 (Interviews withBernard Gavoty).
• Arthur Honegger,Lettres à ses parents: 1914–1922,with preface and notes by Harry Halbreich, Genève, Éd. Papillon, 2005, 344 p.
• Arthur Honegger, many scores.

External links

• Publications by and about Arthur Honeggerin the catalogue Helveticat of theSwiss National Library
• Free scores by Arthur Honeggerat theInternational Music Score Library Project(IMSLP)
• Site Arthur Honegger– The official site on the composer; bilingual (French and English)
• Unlocking the Mystery of Honegger
• Holocaust Music– discusses the controversy of Honegger's role in the Resistance
• Cello Concerto Review
• Drama lírico Bíblico, Judith(audio online y descarga).
• Arthur HoneggerArchived20 August 2013 at theWayback Machine– biography of the composer
• František SlámaArchiveArchived14 September 2019 at theWayback Machine.More on the history of the Czech Philharmonic between the 1940s and the 1980s:Conductors