Honegger: Orchestral Works

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The best word to describe the music of Arthur Honegger would have to be gnarly. His style is restlessly contrapuntal and charged with dissonance, but this isn't a bad thing at all. In fact, his sharply etched instrumental lines and acerbic harmonies add a welcome touch of spice to a somewhat severe idiom, much as a pinch of hot pepper perks up an otherwise bland sauce. They give his fast music the power of a juggernaut, and fill his slower, quieter moments with ear-catching detail. What's needed in performance, and what David Zinman and his Swiss orchestra deliver in abundance, is rhythmic accuracy and clarity. In fact, there hasn't been such a fine Honegger disc since Herbert von Karajan's legendary recordings of the Second and Third Symphonies (currently on DG "Originals"). In the strings-only Second Symphony, the Zurich band hasn't the weight of Karajan's Berliners, but they are just as impassioned and incisive in attack. The other works--including all three Movements symphoniques ("Pacific 231," "Rugby," and No. 3, which has no nickname)--receive what are clearly their finest recorded performances. Pastorale d'été is as charming as ever, and there's a special bonus in the form of the rarely heard Monopartita, whose unfortunate name sounds like a disease but that is actually a vibrant suite of dances gathered in a single movement. Brilliant sonics, too. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Rugby (Mouvement symphonique No.2)
Symphony No.2: Molto Moderato - Allegro
Symphony No.2: Adagio Mesto
Symphony No.2: Vivace non troppo - Presto
Mouvement Symphonique No.3
Monopartita
Pastorale D'Ete
Pacific 231 (Mouvement symphonique No.1)

Amazon.com

The best word to describe the music of Arthur Honegger would have to be gnarly. His style is restlessly contrapuntal and charged with dissonance, but this isn't a bad thing at all. In fact, his sharply etched instrumental lines and acerbic harmonies add a welcome touch of spice to a somewhat severe idiom, much as a pinch of hot pepper perks up an otherwise bland sauce. They give his fast music the power of a juggernaut, and fill his slower, quieter moments with ear-catching detail. What's needed in performance, and what David Zinman and his Swiss orchestra deliver in abundance, is rhythmic accuracy and clarity. In fact, there hasn't been such a fine Honegger disc since Herbert von Karajan's legendary recordings of the Second and Third Symphonies (currently on DG "Originals"). In the strings-only Second Symphony, the Zurich band hasn't the weight of Karajan's Berliners, but they are just as impassioned and incisive in attack. The other works--including all three Movements symphoniques ("Pacific 231," "Rugby," and No. 3, which has no nickname)--receive what are clearly their finest recorded performances. Pastorale d'été is as charming as ever, and there's a special bonus in the form of the rarely heard Monopartita, whose unfortunate name sounds like a disease but that is actually a vibrant suite of dances gathered in a single movement. Brilliant sonics, too. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

First-class Honegger.......2005-12-13

This is a compendium of the great orchestral works by the French composer Arthur Honegger. His music is hard to describe, but it is all rather interesting. His most famous works include the three Mouvement Symphoniques included on this disk.

The first entitled Pacific 231 is amazing to me. Devoid of any real melodies, or perhaps even form, the music describes with great reality, the sounds, and feels even, of a large, at first lumbering, but later, speedy, train. The music isn't pretty, nor is it repugnant, but instead, it is what it is, a very visual depiction of a train. It begins slow, in the station, with sounds of steam, creaks, and squeals, with eventual emphasis in the lower tessitura instruments and percussion (tuba, contrabassoon, bass clarinet, etc.). As it speeds up, the rhythms divide, slowly increasing the pace of the train, maintaining the tempo of he work, adding instrumental elements; the work eventually ends in a clamor. I find the 6 minute piece to be one of the most fascinating works I have heard in a long time. The second Mouvement Symphonique is entitled after the sport Rugby, and Honegger lets you know how he feels about the game. From the whimsical opening orchestral flourish, sometimes the game is rough, messy, and musically dissonant, other times he shows the gracefulness of team strategy through sweeping melodic lines. I believe his intent is a positive one, and the music conveys that well. The third one has no particular program, but is simply entitled Mouvement Symphonique No. 3. After a short rising introduction, the strings relay a jumpy, nearly heroic theme that comes back later. The music is very aggressive and dissonant, and eventually calms down in the end, featuring an alto saxophone solo. The music of these pieces use dissonance to their advantage and are sparse with melodic material, but the music speaks for itself, one of great visual and musical diversity.

Honegger's Symphony for Strings, or his Second Symphony, is one of great angst and struggle. While there is a peaceful calm and simple melody at the opening, the allegro shortly dispels the peacefulness. The second movement throbs painfully over a soaring melody, a melody of strife. The burly final movement has great industriousness, and not until the trumpet enters at the end, is there any glimmer of hope. Honegger aggressively set the strings in a compound meter with occasional manic duple chords, but in a whirlwind, after the chorale with trumpet, the last movement settles all of a sudden on a chord of bliss. A highly modern sounding piece, it is not a-tonal, but one of great dissonance rooted in the tonal world.

In stark contrast is the Pastorale d'ete, and eight minute work of great radiance and warmth. Written for strings and solo horn, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, and flute, there is a Spanish sumptuousness to the opening, with a slightly exotic dance feeling, along with a radiant oboe/horn melody. Lush, with interjections of nature, this is Honegger not yet heard on the disk, highly pastoral and soothing. The middle section is an upbeat rural feast, but it all goes back to the opening material. A small treasure on the disk.

The Monopartita is almost a fantasy of all the different styles we hear from Honegger on this disk. In six sections, here is a diverse assortment of textures, themes, and orchestrations, it really is a potpourri of ideas, and a great representative of the Honegger "sound".

Rarely does one averagely known composer get a CD to himself (aside from his symphonies), and certainly not such a first-rate performance. David Zinman and the Tonhalle Orchestra of Zurich play the snot out of these pieces (sorry for the highly technical term). The music is approached with such knowledge and rigor, the disk is an immediate success all around. If you are unfamiliar with the works of Arthur Honegger, especially his symphonic literature, this is the one to have. Listen to the examples to make sure you like this sort of music, it is not for everyone, I must admit; I find it entirely interesting. The performances and music are excellent and easily recommendable.

Absolutely Brilliant.......2004-10-21

I have about 7 recordings of Sym 2 and this is probably the
best. Solo cello comes out very strongly at end of 2nd movement.

Other works are all great too: excellent performances and recording.

Great 20th C works which are often dark and dissonant.

Strongly recommended for anyone wanting to try out Honegger.

The Karajan recording which everyone raves about (mentioned in amazon review above) is OK, but this one is heaps better.

Great works by a great French composer!.......2000-12-27

Arthur Honegger's remarkable works sound much more modern than most "modern" Classical music. His "Movements Symphoniques" are superior to anything Darius Milhaud achieved in a lighter vein, and his use of dissonance and 12-tone tonality are pure Bartok. Honegger seems to have shared Bartok's concept of a democratic half-step scale. How else to explain his remarkable, streamlined harmonic texture, which effortlessly veers between harsh note-clusters and smooth, consonant passages?

The performances and sound on this superb CD are beyond criticism, save for a "Pacific 231" that runs out of steam (pun intended) toward the end, and which features a muddy mix totally removed from that of the other tracks. Five stars. Don't deprive your collection of this wonderful recording!

underappreciated piece..........2000-12-10

How is it that everyone knows Honegger's first two "Mouvement Symphonique" pieces ("Pacific 231" and "Rugby"), but nobody has heard of the untitled third? Is it because it has no catchy, after-the-fact-programmatic title? It's an amazing piece, and I think it's better than the other two.

Scrunchily sympathetic, sonically spacious.......1999-08-25

The Zurich Tonhalle has hardly been in general LP or CD circulation, so it's good to see them appearing on a major label. They have always been my favourite Swiss orchestra, and this disc confirms that they are currently in very good shape. The tone of the orchestra is just right for Honegger's scrunchy music, and Zinman conducts sympathetically. The performance of the 3rd Mouvement Symphonique is the best I have heard. The 2nd Symphony also comes over well, with some very fine playing by the Tonhalle strings. Karajan's Berlin version remains my favourite here, but Zinman provides a valid alternative. Perhaps Pacific 231 (rather oversold on the CD's cover, incidentally) is the weakest performance here, but this piece has been given somewhat wider coverage over the years. The sound quality in the difficult Tonhalle acoustic is very good, with clarity mixed in well with the hall's spaciousness. Unlike the Karajan, the trumpet is actually audible at the end of the symphony, without being overbearing. In my view, this is not a world-beating collection, but it is a fine introduction for anyone unfamiliar with the music and contains one piece (Monopartita) not otherwise recorded. For me, this is in the higher level of the 4-star rating.

Average customer rating:

Fritz Kreisler: Miniatures

Manufacturer: Gall Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000004A3R
Release Date: 1996-12-17

Cosmic Music: Meeting Angels Through Sound & Music

Average customer rating:

Cosmic Music: Meeting Angels Through Sound & Music

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000002SP6
Release Date: 1997-02-25

Average customer rating:

Orchestral Works
Honegger , Messiaen , and Streatfield
Manufacturer: Rem
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000009JZE
Release Date: 1993-10-19

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Beat Goes on [Import]

Geminiani: Concerti Grossi, Op. 3

Heritage of the Blues: Skull & Crossbones Blues [Original recording remastered]

Bandstand Boogie (With Larry Elgart)

That's the Way It Was [Import]

Early Classics [Import]

I'll Make It Alright

Giger: Yuhi no Mimi [An ear

I Go to Pieces

Fire Dance

Hand That Feeds [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import] [Limited Edition]

First Band on the Moon [Import]

Freight Train: UK Skiffle Express [Import]

City On A Hill

The In Sound