The Music of Arthur Honegger

This is a study of the music of the Swiss composer Arthur Honegger (1892-1955), a musicological tribute to one of the most significant composers of the 20th century.
After an initial survey of Honegger’s early works (1910-1921) in order to establish the framework of his musical language and experience, the bulk of this study is devoted to a chronological discussion of the nine major dramatic works: ‘Le roi David’, ‘Judith’, ‘Antigone’, ‘Amphion’, ‘Cris du monde’, ‘Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher’, ‘La danse des morts’, ‘Nicolas de Flue’ and ‘Une cantate de Noël’. The book culminates in a chapter dealing with the final ‘drama’: the last four symphonies. All the various intermediary works are discussed briefly to maintain perspective.
The results of detailed analysis are employed continuously to illustrate the development of his musical language, to reveal the dramatic and musical viability of the large-scale works and to highlight the evolution of his creative personality. An attempt is made throughout to assess his role in twentieth-century music, in particular that of France.