Oscar-Arthur Honegger (French: [aʁtyʁ ɔnɛɡɛʁ]; 10 March 1892 – 27 November 1955) was a Swiss composer born in France. He spent much of his life in Paris. Honegger was a member of Les Six. For Halbreich, Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher is "more than Le Roi David or Pacific 231, his most well-known work."

Biography

Oscar-Arthur Honegger was born to Swiss parents in Le Havre, France. He studied harmony with Robert-Charles Martin, who received Honegger’s first published work as a gift. He also learned violin in Le Havre. Later, he moved to Switzerland, where he studied at the Zurich Conservatory from September 1909 to June 1911 under Lothar Kempter and Friedrich Hegar. In 1911, Honegger enrolled at the Paris Conservatoire, where he studied from 1911 to 1918, except for a short time in 1914–1915 when he was called to duty in Switzerland. His teachers included Charles-Marie Widor, Lucien Capet, André Gédalge, and Vincent d'Indy. Gédalge encouraged Honegger to write music, and in a letter to his parents on April 28, 1915, Honegger announced his decision to become a composer. He praised Gédalge’s book Traité de la fugue (1904) as the most complete work on fugue ever written. Gédalge taught his students carefully while respecting their ideas and personalities. Honegger noted that some teachers focused on helping students win competitions, but the most modern musicians were often Gédalge’s students.

Some of Honegger’s early works include Six Poèmes d'Apollinaire (based on poems from Alcools), first performed in 1916 and 1918; Hommage à Ravel from Trois pièces pour piano (1915); Quatre Poèmes H. 7 (1914–1916); Trois Poèmes de Paul Fort (1916); Prélude pour Aglavaine et Sélysette, inspired by a play by Maurice Maeterlinck, which was first performed in 1917 and publicly in 1920; Le Dit des Jeux du monde, written in 1918 for the Belgian poet Paul Méral and first performed in 1918 by Walther Straram at Jane Bathori’s Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier. This work, made up of thirteen short pieces, sometimes resembles the style of Arnold Schönberg and was described as causing a scandal similar to The Rite of Spring or Parade. It was dedicated to Fernand Ochsé. Another early work, Le Chant de Nigamon (1918), was first performed publicly in 1920 by the Orchestre Pasdeloup. Inspired by a novel by Gustave Aimard about Native American themes, it was Honegger’s first symphonic piece. His first String Quartet, described as his first fully accomplished masterpiece, was premiered in 1919 by the Quatuor Capelle. He also composed music for a ballet called Vérité ? Mensonge ? by André Hellé, with four of its ten scenes first performed at the Salon d'automne in 1920. Pastorale d'été was premiered in 1920–1921 by Vladimir Golschmann.

While studying at the conservatoire, Honegger became friends with Jacques Ibert and later met Germaine Tailleferre and Georges Auric, as well as pianist Andrée Vaurabourg. The first concert of the Nouveaux Jeunes took place on January 15, 1918, at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier, where Jane Bathori and Andrée Vaurabourg performed Six Poèmes d'Apollinaire for the first time in full. Roland-Manuel was present, and some sources suggest he may have been one of the group known as "Les Six." Les Six aimed to create a fresh, French style of music. Honegger’s style was more serious and complex than others in the group, as he once wrote, “I don’t have a cult for street fairs or the music-hall.” However, being part of Les Six helped Honegger gain recognition in Paris. He collaborated with other members of Les Six in 1920 (a short Sarabande for L'Album des Six), 1921 (a Marche funèbre for Les mariés de la tour Eiffel), and 1952 (a Toccata for La Guirlande de Campra).

Honegger’s Sonata for cello and piano H. 32, written in 1920, was first performed in 1921 by Diran Alexanian and Andrée Varabourg. Musicologist Halbreich said this piece “should be part of every cellist’s repertoire.” He also wrote Danse de la chèvre (1921), a popular piece for flute, dedicated to René Le Roy. Loie Fuller danced three of the dances from Le Dit des Jeux du monde in early 1921. In 1921, Ernest Ansermet conducted the avant-garde music of the ballet-pantomime Horace victorieux in Lausanne. The piece depicts the battle between the Horatii and Curiatii and ends with Camilla’s death. In 1921, René Morax asked Honegger to write Le Roi David, which he completed in two months. It was first performed on June 11, 1921, and received a warm welcome. In 1924, a re-orchestrated version of Le Roi David was performed in Paris by Robert Siohan. This version replaced spoken parts with music and was later adapted as an oratorio in 1927 in Rotterdam. It was dedicated to Claire Croiza, who sang the role of Judith in the first version.

In 1922, Honegger wrote a short piece of incidental music for Jean Cocteau’s Antigone, based on a tragedy by Sophocles. He later expanded this into an opera, which premiered on December 28, 1927, at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie under Maurice Corneil.

Style

Arthur Honegger’s music is known for several key features. His compositions often include complex, interweaving melodies inspired by Johann Sebastian Bach, strong and steady rhythms, wide-ranging melodies, rich and colorful harmonies, and the use of orchestral sounds to create vivid, emotional effects. He also paid careful attention to the structure and organization of his music. Compared to his friends in Les Six, Honegger’s style is more serious and heavy. Unlike others in Les Six, who avoided German romanticism, Honegger’s later works show the influence of this style. He once wrote, “I place great importance on musical architecture,” meaning he focused on creating well-organized and meaningful compositions.

Although Honegger and Darius Milhaud, another member of Les Six, had different musical styles, they were close friends. Both studied together at the Paris Conservatoire. Milhaud dedicated one of his string quintets to Honegger’s memory, and Francis Poulenc dedicated his Clarinet Sonata to him as well.

Honegger’s music is known for its variety. His works range from traditional tonal music to atonal and polytonal styles, using all parts of the musical spectrum. He respected both older musical traditions and the innovations of his time. His music cannot be easily grouped into a single school or category. This diversity reflects his belief that music should be a clear and effective way to communicate with audiences. After his opera Antigone, Honegger prioritized sharing messages with the public over using complex or secretive musical language. His later opera, L'Aiglon, was created to appeal to a large audience rather than a small group of experts. He avoided overly formal or seductive styles and sought to move away from common musical habits. Honegger feared the dangers of cultural habits and group thinking, as seen in his work Cris du monde (1931), which explores the struggle of the individual against the crowd. His music often carried meaningful messages, such as in his Symphony No. 3 (1945), which reflects the human struggle between surrendering to uncontrollable forces and seeking peace and happiness.

Honegger’s diverse works reflect his belief that each idea needed a new musical language. He explored many genres and techniques, drawing inspiration from composers like Claude Debussy and Gabriel Fauré for harmony, Igor Stravinsky for rhythm, Ludwig van Beethoven for structure, and Arnold Schoenberg (excluding his serialism) for creativity. He used unusual instruments or instruments in new ways, such as the bowed instruments invented by Léo Sir in Hymne, the saw in Antigone (1927), the tam-tam in Pacific 231, three saxophones in Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher, a bouteillophone (bottles filled with water) in Dit des Jeux du Monde, and electronic instruments like the ondes Martenot in Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher (played by Maurice Martenot at its 1938 premiere). These instruments were also used in films like L'Idée (1934).

Some parts of Honegger’s music may seem simple, but they reflect his focus on objective musical coherence—the logical and consistent structure of a piece. He believed that technical complexity should only be used when necessary, as seen in his work Horace Victorieux (1921), which he called his most radical and daring composition. His main works are complex and meaningful because of this focus on coherence. Honegger often explored deep, universal themes, which helped his religious works (he was a Protestant) reach beyond religious boundaries to connect with broader human experiences. This is why Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher (Joan of Arc at the Stake) was widely successful. At the same time, Honegger responded to the culture of his time, as in Pacific 231 (1923), while avoiding the use of random or chaotic sounds.

Legacy

Honegger was shown on the Swiss twenty franc banknote (eighth series), which was released in October 1996 and replaced in 2017.

Honegger's musical piece called Rugby was recorded while he was conducting the Paris Symphony Orchestra in a 1929 electrical recording. Many of Honegger's recordings as a conductor have been released again on CD by Pearl and Dutton.

The ice hockey player Doug Honegger is his grandnephew.

Notable compositions

Opus numbers come from a complete list made by Harry Halbreich. For more compositions, see List of compositions by Arthur Honegger. For recordings, see Arthur Honegger discography.

• Orchestral music:
• Oratorios:
• Operas:
• Operettas:
• Ballets:
• Chamber music:
• Piano solo works:
• Melodies:
• Organ:

1917 H 14 Fugue et Choral (Honegger) [fr]

Audiovisual media

• Arthur Honegger [fr] is a 40-minute film interview by Georges Rouquier that was made public in 1955.
• An interview conducted by Evelyne Schlumberger for Radio-Lausanne is available on YouTube.
• News broadcasts included video clips showing the Legion of Honour ceremony. French news teams also recorded footage at the Père Lachaise Cemetery during his funeral.