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MOS Composer of the Month: Previous Page, Next Page, Index |
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Composer of the Month - March, 2006 Arthur Honegger, 1892-1955
During the early 1920s, Honegger was a member of Les Six (sometimes called Groupe des Six), a group of composers who were temporarily united in their opposition to the influence of the romantic school of music that was so popular at the time. There were several more than just six; the number was picked and the six identified by a music critic of the time who wanted a French version of "The Five Russians." Of the six, Honegger seems to have been the least committed to their common cause, though, because his work of that period shows clear influence from several leading composers from the romantic school. The unity of the group was short lived and they went their own separate ways after a few years. His greatest choral work, Le Roi David (King David) synthesizes influences from Bach, Stravinsky, Ravel, and Massenet. It was originally composed in 1921 and revised for larger orchestra and released again in 1924, establishing in no uncertain terms his mastery of choral and orchestral music. The unusual addition of a narrator helps unify the otherwise scattered depiction of over twenty scenes from the life of the great king of Israel. The Michael O'Neal Singers perform King David on March 12, 2006. Shortly after Le Roi David, Honegger composed Pacific 231. This symphonic poem was one result of a long-term fascination of his with steam locomotives—Pacific 231 was his orchestral demonstration of how music could build momentum even as its tempo slows. The title refers to the arrangement of axles on the Pacific class of locomotive: two pilot, three driver, and one trailer. Pacific 231 and Rugby were two of his more memorable symphonic poems. Honegger was at his prime as sound was being added to movies. He composed the scores for Napoleon and the 1934 Les Miserables. In 1947 he began a grand tour of the Americas, starting in the United States. He suffered a major and complicated heart attack and was incapacitated for three months. He returned to France and struggled to continue. In the years before his death in 1955, he was named a member de l'Institut and then Grand Officier de la Legion d'honneur. Honegger may be the only composer whose image is handled daily by thousands of ordinary citizens—his likeness has graced the Swiss twenty franc note since 1995. For further reading on Arthur Honegger: Click here for more information about the MOS Composer of the Month feature.
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