Arthur Honegger (1892-1955)

Started by vandermolen, August 31, 2007, 12:43:08 AM

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J.Z. Herrenberg

Quote from: vandermolen on October 11, 2008, 07:51:22 AM
Oops...thanks Johan. I was sure that there was one but it didn't appear when I did a search under his name. Hohum, never mind.

I just used Lethe's invaluable Composer Index...



Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

vandermolen

Quote from: Jezetha on October 11, 2008, 08:34:04 AM
I just used Lethe's invaluable Composer Index...





That would be far too straightforward for me Johan. I'd much rather adopt a more circuitous search route...and then miss the thread completely  ;D
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

J.Z. Herrenberg

Quote from: vandermolen on October 11, 2008, 08:43:31 AM
That would be far too straightforward for me Johan. I'd much rather adopt a more circuitous search route...and then miss the thread completely.

;D
Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. -- Plato

vandermolen

I have been listening to my old Marco Polo CD with Honegger's film music on. As well as containing L'Idee it has a lovely three minute piece 'Le Grand Barrage' written in 1942. Some mystery surrounds the work, which may have been written for a documentary about a huge mountain reservoir. What matters, of course, is the music. The piece starts stormily, rather in the spirit of Honegger's 'Prelude to the Tempest' but there then emerges a beautiful Respighi like theme. Unfortunately this work is not featured on the new Naxos CD, which appears to be an edited highlights of the three Marco Polo discs of Honegger's film music; a pity that it is not included.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Dundonnell

Quote from: vandermolen on October 11, 2008, 11:30:02 PM
I have been listening to my old Marco Polo CD with Honegger's film music on. As well as containing L'Idee it has a lovely three minute piece 'Le Grand Barrage' written in 1942. Some mystery surrounds the work, which may have been written for a documentary about a huge mountain reservoir. What matters, of course, is the music. The piece starts stormily, rather in the spirit of Honegger's 'Prelude to the Tempest' but there then emerges a beautiful Respighi like theme. Unfortunately this work is not featured on the new Naxos CD, which appears to be an edited highlights of the three Marco Polo discs of Honegger's film music; a pity that it is not included.

I didn't realise that the new Naxos CD was a reissue, Jeffrey. Haven't listened to it yet(been away on holiday for the last week) but am looking forward to it :) There must be a huge amount of music yet to be unearthed from all the films to which Honegger supplied incidental music?

vandermolen

Quote from: Dundonnell on October 16, 2008, 06:34:10 AM
I didn't realise that the new Naxos CD was a reissue, Jeffrey. Haven't listened to it yet(been away on holiday for the last week) but am looking forward to it :) There must be a huge amount of music yet to be unearthed from all the films to which Honegger supplied incidental music?

Hi Colin,

Marco Polo issued three CDs of Honegger's film music. I think that he wrote the music for c 40 films and was a film fanatic himself. L'Idee and Le Grand Barrage are well worth investigation.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Kuhlau

Been intending to explore more of Honegger's music for some time, so I've used some of the money I received for Christmas to get this:



If the Third Symphony in this set is even half as good as the version on Naxos, I'll be extremely pleased. :)

FK

vandermolen

This was my only Christmas present CD this year. Very pleased with it:

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

snyprrr

#68
Perhaps you are familiar with a rare bio-pic soundtrack for Hollywood that Honegger wrote: Le Roi Rogers! Oy!!!


EDIT: Oy, indeed!! With stuff like this littering around 'cyberspace', how is it that we are all not locked away for indecencies? :-[ Are we allowed to delete Posts?

Scarpia

Quote from: Kuhlau on December 26, 2008, 03:39:18 PM
Been intending to explore more of Honegger's music for some time, so I've used some of the money I received for Christmas to get this:



If the Third Symphony in this set is even half as good as the version on Naxos, I'll be extremely pleased. :)

FK

I'm anticipating big disappointment.  I've been trying to sell my copy of that set for ages.  As long as this set is available there is no need for any other Honegger symphony recordings.



Cato

Quote from: Scarpia on May 29, 2009, 03:54:37 PM
I'm anticipating big disappointment.  I've been trying to sell my copy of that set for ages.  As long as this set is available there is no need for any other Honegger symphony recordings.




Serge Baudo and the Czechs are hard to beat in Honegger!

Baudo has one other recording that is absolutely classic: Jessye Norman and Nicolai Gedda singing in Alceste by Gluck!
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

snyprrr

#71
Karajan/DG 2-3

Munch/Erato No.4

Markevitch/DG No.5

Munch again? in No.1???

The Piano Concerto may be my single fav p.c.... it's ten minutes haunt me. And the Cello Concerto is so wonderfully langorous.

But the 3rd concerto's (for flute/cor anglais) slow mvmt. may be my most fav slow mvmt. EVER. Keep in mind that Honegger taught Pettersson some, and this mvmt. MAY BE a sonic link!!!

Also, the Erato Ultima 2cd features Le Roi David and a set of pieces by Dutoit/Constant. No one has yet mentioned, I think, Honegger's last work, Monopartita, and the Mouvement Sym. No.3, two standouts for me, very much of the world of Sym. 5. The Westminster cds mvmt. sym No.3 is much better though.

For me, the joy of Honegger is in the orchestral "pieces", the Chant du Joie (also on Westminster, and Pan), a perfect Honegger piece, and the two above pieces. Also, on a Calliope disc w/Danse du Mort is the Nocturne, very attractive, though roughly played. On an oehm disc w/Bach are the Hymn and Dixtour. I believe there's an unrecorded "blues nocturnish" and maybe one or two other pieces, otherwise I think everything else's been recorded.

Two pieces I'm still waiting on are the late pieces "suite for Angelique?" and "suite Ancienne?", though undesireable disc mates have kept me from them.

Please somebody record "Honegger Rarities". C'mon.

The library has all the Timpani chamber discs but the SQs 1-3. I still haven't heard them. I'd like to get the Erato Quartet/Aura disc, but Honegger fetches a premium.

However, the violin/cello Duo is standard rep, great stuff. Along with Ravel, Martinu, and Schullhoff...I have, I think, the best duo recital with the Turovskys on Chandos (Rivier instead Schullhoff, probably could've fit it).

The Cello Sonata is one of my favs, short, turgid and darkly hued. I enjoy it much better than the Martinu 3. And the Sonatina for cello or clarinet is nice and brief. They both perfectly compliment the Debussy.

Honegger holds the distinction of being the only composer (besides Xenakis) whom I'll tolerate vocal works from...even if I don't like them! I even want to get his piano music (Koch). Honegger was the first composer I disliked that I eventually wanted everything by!

Honegger/Hartmann/Pettersson- see?, you've gotta have double letters!

B"ee"thoven?...huh?....huh??? ;)


karlhenning

Quote from: snyprrr on May 29, 2009, 10:51:42 PM
For me, the joy of Honegger is in the orchestral "pieces", the Chant du Joie (also on Westminster, and Pan), a perfect Honegger piece . . . .

I love posts like this, though my wallet shies away from them.

not edward

Quote from: snyprrr on May 29, 2009, 10:51:42 PM
Karajan/DG 2-3

Much/Erato No.4

Markevitch/DG No.5

Munch again? in No.1???
That's pretty much my favourites for most of the symphonies. I might prefer Jansons to Karajan in 2, though, while Baudo is consistently outstanding too (a very easy recommendation for a complete set).

Quote
Also, the Erato Ultima 2cd features Le Roi David and a set of pieces by Dutoit/Constant. No one has yet mentioned, I think, Honegger's last work, Monopartita, and the Mouvement Sym. No.3, two standouts for me, very much of the world of Sym. 5. The Westminster cds mvmt. sym No.3 is much better though.

For me, the joy of Honegger is in the orchestral "pieces", the Chant du Joie (also on Westminster, and Pan), a perfect Honegger piece, and the two above pieces.
I find the Erato discs somewhat dissatisfying: Dutoit's Honegger seems undercharacterized to me. On the other hand, that Westminster disc is one of the glories of the Honegger catalogue--great performances all round in very good mono sound. (And an outstanding Petrushka is my idea of the perfect "filler.")
"I don't at all mind actively disliking a piece of contemporary music, but in order to feel happy about it I must consciously understand why I dislike it. Otherwise it remains in my mind as unfinished business."
-- Aaron Copland, The Pleasures of Music

karlhenning

Baudo did a complete Honegger cycle, Edward? That would be a temptation.

not edward

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on May 31, 2009, 02:36:38 PM
Baudo did a complete Honegger cycle, Edward? That would be a temptation.
Consider yourself tempted. ;)

And it's even still in print, unlike the Scherchen collection on Westminster.
"I don't at all mind actively disliking a piece of contemporary music, but in order to feel happy about it I must consciously understand why I dislike it. Otherwise it remains in my mind as unfinished business."
-- Aaron Copland, The Pleasures of Music

karlhenning


karlhenning

Quote from: vandermolen on April 08, 2008, 12:08:28 AM
Honegger's book "I am a Composer" is also a good read.

Say more, Jeffrey?  When did he write it? &c.

snyprrr

Anyone got 25 words or less on SQs 2-3?

The new erato

Quote from: snyprrr on June 01, 2009, 11:55:37 PM
Anyone got 25 words or less on SQs 2-3?
They're better (or at least; better liked by me) than no 1.