# SS 09.02.19 - Honegger #1



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

A continuation of the Saturday Symphonies Tradition:

Welcome to another weekend of symphonic listening! 
_*
*_For your listening pleasure this weekend:*

Arthur Honegger **(1892 - 1955)*

Symphony No. 1, H. 75
1. Allegro marcato 
2. Adagio
3. Presto

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Post what recording you are going to listen to giving details of Orchestra / Conductor / Chorus / Soloists etc - Enjoy!


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Another weekend is upon us and so another symphony is up for your listening enjoyment. This weekend it's the last of Swiss composer Arthur Honegger's symphonies to appear on our weekend listening club with his first symphony. I haven't heard this one in quite some time so I'm looking forward to hearing it again. It's another short one so hopefully everyone can give this one a listen.

I'll be listening to this one on disc, but as usual I'll post a YouTube link for those without a copy:




Charles Dutoit/Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra


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## D Smith (Sep 13, 2014)

I'll listen to Plasson here. I was just listening to Munch conduct Honegger today coincidentally.


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## Mika (Jul 24, 2009)

This one and spotify


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I have the Dutoit set.


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## cougarjuno (Jul 1, 2012)

The Dutoit for me also. Honegger is an extremely polished composer there never seems to be any lag of inspiration. He keeps listeners interested with bold dynamics, slightly dissonant harmonies and an air of mystery in the slow movement. Everything is so well proportioned.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

This is my selection for this week


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Baudo and the Czechs for me.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

Same recordings as many others but different cover....


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## Bill Cooke (May 20, 2017)

Coincidentally I was sampling Karajan's account of the 2nd and 3rd yesterday for a possible purchase. 

For the 1st, I'll listen to Dutoit.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Finally, a Honegger symphony I actually enjoyed! The first movement is very motoric with a lot of energy and forward thrust and occasional hints of jazz. Rather than ending with a bang it just fades out with no loss of speed, a nice touch.

The Adagio by contrast is far more relaxed but still moves forward with a steady pulse in the lower parts. It's a bit disconcerting to hear a snippet of "My Favorite Things" from _The Sound of Music _at several points, but of course that song was way out in the future at the time (1930).

The final movement, like the first, is again quite fast, but with more variety in rhythms and an overall "lighter" feel. It ends, surprisingly, with a beautiful and quite tonal passage marked Andante tranquillo.

For me a very enjoyable listen, and a piece I might never have heard without these SS threads.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Didn't really enjoy this one, alas. Haven't listened to it for a while, and I don't really regret that. Very energetic first movement, quite Stravinskian, great start, but I felt the second movement tried to be profound and ended up sounding like a film score.

It was I suppose not helped by the fact that my recording has No.2 immediately after. For me, the contrast in quality really stuck out.


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## Torkelburger (Jan 14, 2014)

Dutoit/SDBR. I've always enjoyed this symphony. A great first effort into the field by a composer who was to become one of the top symphonists of the 20th century.


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