Arthur
Honegger was born in Le Havre of Swiss
parents, and studied at the Zürich
and Paris Conservatoires. His early
works began to make his reputation in
Paris, and he became famous around 1920
as a member of the group of composers
called Les Six. His artistic
outlook, however, tended to be at odds
with their Satie-inspired views, since
he was more naturally drawn towards
a serious expression: "I have no taste
for the fairground, nor for the music
hall, but, on the contrary, a taste
for chamber music in its most serious
and austere form."
Honegger’s
symphonies represent one of the most
significant contributions to the genre
during the whole of the 20th century,
and the greatest of them is the Third,
known as the Liturgique. In this
work, which is better served in the
recorded catalogue than in our concert
halls alas, the benchmark remains Karajan
with the Berlin Philharmonic. His reading
has such nobility, and the Berlin Philharmonic's
playing such sensitivity and tone, that
it remains without peer, despite all
the other recordings which have appeared
over the years. Of course this music
is strong enough to transcend the limitations
of any one performance of it, but even
so Karajan remains the only contender
if a single recording has to be recommended.
Be
that as it may, this new Naxos issue
gives us a compelling performance and
one of the best recordings to have come
from this label. For the first movement,
Dies Irae, has great attack and
all the orchestral discipline that implies.
Here and elsewhere the horns are magnificent
and the effect created is compelling
and exciting. By contrast the second
movement, De profundis clamavi,
is a true Adagio: From the depths
I cry unto Thee O Lord. Like Karajan
before him Yuasa sustains a really slow
tempo with playing that has an appropriately
concentrated commitment. The danger
in the slow movement, as so many recorded
performances show us, is that the music
can be taken too quickly. Not so here,
since once again Yuasa judges phrasing,
tempo and line with compelling insight
and judgement. And again the orchestral
playing conveys his and Honegger’s message.
For this is a fine performance, and
the disc is worth acquiring for this
alone.
The
programme also contains four short bonus
items, in the form of the celebrated
railway engine piece from the 1920s,
Pacific 231, plus the Mouvement Symphonique
No. 3, the symphonic poem Rugby and
the atmospheric Pastorale d’été.
The latter is the most directly appealing
of these compositions, and as such is
probably the most often performed nowadays.
It is given suitably atmospheric treatment.
Pacific
231 is one of those compositions that
is famous but hardly ever performed.
Like its companion pieces, Rugby and
Mouvement Symphonique No. 3, it is representative
of Honegger’s genius and his tautly
symphonic control of musical development.
This places a burden of responsibility
on the performers, since there is little
attempt to entice the ear with beauty
of sound. But Yuasa and his New Zealand
players show a true understanding of
the idiom and the individual pieces,
in this excellent disc from an unlikely
source.
Honegger
is one of the great composers of the
20th century and his cause
is an important cause. He is well served
here.
Terry
Barfoot
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra/Takuo Yuasa 
