HONEGGER Arthur (Honegger Arthur)

(1892-1955)
Born March 10, 1892 in Le Havre (France). Honegger's parents were Swiss, and the original musical education he received at the Zurich Conservatory (1909-1911), but the whole future of his work is related to France. Creativity Honegger refers to the modern French school of composition, among his teachers - A. Zhedalzh, S. M. Widor and VD 'Andy
. Even the early works of Honegger, . created under the influence of the then dominant in the music style of Impressionism, . contain features, . anticipating the composer's mature style: for example, . the linear letter, . complex, . sometimes atonal harmony and the rhythm of the active,
. By 1920 Honegger became quite famous and became the leader of the creative group, . dubbed 'Six' (by analogy with the 'big five' - as in France called the Russian "Mighty Handful '): but Honegger, . group consisted of D. Milhaud, . Poulenc, . G. Auric, . L. Durey and Germaine Tayfer,
. The merger was not an official, . a purely artistic and was meant to promote new music, . but Honegger, . rejecting some of the most characteristic of his colleagues and shocking audiences trends, . a short time created a number of orchestral and theater works, . which to fully manifest the independence of his creative position,
. Among them - the oratorio King David (Le Roi David, 1921) and a symphonic piece Pacific-231 (Pacific 231). King David, an oratorio for soloists, chorus and orchestra, was completed in 1923. Strong dramatic expressiveness achieved in this work concise, skillfully selected orchestral and choral resources. Pacific-231 (model name of the locomotive from the series 'Pacific 4-6-2') was written in 1923, this play is simple in conception, but a very successful experiment in the field of onomatopoeia.

Many works Honegger indicate strength of his talent, which abated only in recent years, the composer's life, when his health has seriously deteriorated. Honegger died in Paris on November 27, 1955. Among his major works - the opera on the biblical story of Judith (Judith, . 1925, . second edition 1926), . symphonic poem Rugby (Rugby, . 1928), . cantata cries of the world (Les cris de monde, . 1932), . dramatic oratorio Jeanne d'Arc at the stake (Jeanne d'Arc au bucher, . 1935), . Finally, . Symphony of the three reactions (Di tre re, . 1951),
. Honegger lot of composing for the theater. In 1951 came the publication of his autobiography I - composer.