Product Description
Arthur Honegger (1892-1955) is a major composer of the twentieth century. He first came to the attention of the musical public, along with Poulenc and Milhaud, as a member of Les Six and attained a certain notoriety with his composition Pacific 2.3.1., a musical representation of a steam locomotive. Although he earned popular acclaim with his oratorio King David (Le Roi David) early in his career, he was never concerned with musical fashion, and in his later years his musical language - serious, well crafted, consistently tonal - was considered outmoded. This important study considers both Honegger's life and his works. With the cooperation of Honegger's daughter, Pascale Honegger, Harry Halbreich has fully documented the composer's life since childhood; all his works are treated, with many of the more significant ones analyzed in detail. A concluding section attempts to discover, by examining the common threads in his life and music, the true nature of this giant, whose stature is finally being recognized more than forty years after his death. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A quick-and-easy transaction for an invaluable book
I had long wanted this biography of one of my favorite composers, whose relative neglect in the U.S. mystifies me greatly. The entire transaction couldn't have been smoother; I received the book, which arrived in excellent condition due to careful packing, within a week. I am going through the biography with great delight and interest; Honegger the human being is as interesting and involving as his musical creations.

A worthy book for a worthy composer
Harry Halbreich has done a masterful job of putting together the most complete book on Arthur Honegger, one of the two or three great composers of the 20th century. Halbreich explores the personal life of the composer (bringing him down a notch or two in his personal life and his time in occupied France)as well as a thorough exploration of all of Honegger's works. Recommended both for the professional musician as well as the listener who loves this Swiss composer's output. For those who know only Pacific 231, the symphonies and King David, this biography will open new doors to the many other compositions of Honegger. ... Read more

Product Description
Through analyses of a number of Honegger's compositions, including extended analyses of two of Honegger's orchestral works, "Mouvement symphonique No. 2 (Rugby)" and "Symphonie pour cordes", Keith Waters examines the principles of musical organization in Honegger's music and shows how these principles are based on systematic rhythmic and contrapuntal strategies. Musical form in Honegger's work, the book argues, is articulated by contrapuntal and rhythmic structures rather than by tonal structure, and it is this that provides the source of compositional unity in Honegger's music. ... Read more