Symphony 2 / Symphony 3: Liturgique

On this CD:

1. Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73
Composed by Johannes Brahms
Performed by Boston Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Charles Munch

2. Symphony No. 3 ("Liturgique"), H186
Composed by Arthur Honegger
Performed by Boston Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Charles Munch

Tracks:

Symphonie No. 2 fur Streichorchester und Trompete: 1. Molto Moderato - Allegro
Symphonie No. 2 fur Streichorchester und Trompete: 2. Adagio mesto
Symphonie No. 2 fur Streichorchester und Trompete: 3. Vivace, non troppo - Presto
Symphonie No. 3 (Liturgique): 1. (Dies irae). Allegro marcato
Symphonie No. 3 (Liturgique): 2. (De profundis clamavi). Adagio
Symphonie No. 3 (Liturgique): 3. (Dona nobis pacem). Andante
Concenrto In D fur Streichorchester: Vivace
Concenrto In D fur Streichorchester: Arioso. Andantino
Concenrto In D fur Streichorchester: Rondo. Allegro

Amazon.com

Herbert von Karajan liked to think of himself as the great conductor of the German classical repertoire: Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms. Perhaps out of insecurity, he recorded and recorded that music incessantly--there are four complete Beethoven symphony cycles, for instance. But he really was at his best in other things, and everyone agrees that these performances of Honegger symphonies are among his finest recordings. Part of their allure lies simply in the quality of the playing, for no one could deny that he cultivated a technical standard with the Berlin Philharmonic that was second to none. But he also seems to respond to the music's savagery, its melancholy, and ultimate message of hope. In short, the music really turned him on, and it'll do the same for you. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

One of the finest symphonic recordings...period........2006-11-26

The reviews are correct; some of Karajan's finest work is on this disc. Also, some of the best compositions of the 20th century are here. But well above that, this CD contains something otherworldly. It's like the BPO and Karajan were possessed, or were in some kind of meditation, following a powerful spirit in this music that just sweeps everyone up in it. Newer and digital recordings can sound quite good, but they all adhere strictly to technical aspects in the music, especially tempo and dynamics, where as this disc locks in to something utterly spiritual. Big talk, I realize, but every time I hear this CD I am floored. In comparison to this, other Honegger symphony interpreters are just playing notes on a page.

Honegger Remembered, Another Famous Karajan Classic.......2006-09-09

If the liner notes by Karl Schumann are to be believed, these Arthur Honegger Symphonies were part of the standard orchestral repertoire at the time Karajan recorded his classic accounts. I wasn't alive in the late 60's or early 70's, so I can't confirm if Honegger had a more secure place in the repertoire than he has now. Going to a concert hall to hear a performance of a Honegger symphony by a major orchestra is very rare nowadays. Luckily Herbert von Karajan recorded these instant classics in late 1969.

To call the strings impeccable in Symphony 2, ( composed 1941 ), is an understatement, this is the Berlin Philharmonic we're talking about, under Karajan they were by far the finest strings in the world. Hell, they were the best orchestra in the world, period.

Symphony 3, "Liturgique", ( composed 1945-46 ), receives a one of a kind, supreme reading as well. It is nigh-definitive, the dies irae passionate, the adagio suitably expansive and moving, the final dona nobis pacem stunning in it's virtuosity. Just like the second symphony this music was inspired by World War II and there's plenty of tragic emotion in the work.

The only thing on this disc that might be deemed not as perfect is the short Stravinsky work, Concerto for String Orchestra. The Berlin strings are very cultured and smooth here and perhaps this elegant sophistication is not suitable to the Stravinsky style as a more abrasive approach would be. You'll have to be the judge, I found it quite wonderful myself, but then again, you're not buying this for the Stravinsky.

It you want the two best Honegger symphonies, played by the finest orchestra in the world, conducted by perhaps the greatest podium figure of the 20th-century, then this is your ticket. The sound as remastered by DG is very fine. A collector's item in every sense.

Gorgeous reflection on war during war.......2006-08-09

Symphony #2 is just strings singing questionably toward the beginning or middle of WW2 joined at the last part of the last movement by a single trumpet playing a German choral. Very strange. The trumpet is not the best tone, and because the violins double it, it sounds washed out. Nevertheless, a revealing piece.

Symphony #3 is even better. Three movements named after parts of the requiem. It comes at the end of the war with a yearning for peace while still immersed in miliarism--marches interspersed with plaintive prayers. Gorgeous sound.

Neglected Masterpieces, A Very Special Recording.......2006-01-05

In his book THE SYMPHONY, Michael Steinberg says something to the effect that if you mention the name "Arthur Honegger" to most music lovers you will probably get "Hmm...Didn't he write the piece about the locomotive?". (Indeed, Honegger did write PACIFIC 231, a sonic impression of a steam locomotive and hardly one of his deepest pieces.) Sadly, this composer's notoriety today is wildly out of proportion with his worth and importance. I discovered Honegger largely through my interest in French music and LES SIX (the French "Group of Six"), of which Honegger was a part. Upon hearing the powerful LITURGIQUE symphony for the first time, I was amazed. Everything about the music - its polyphonic depth, its architecture, the incandescence of the instrumental colors, the amplitude and expressiveness of the melodic line - proclaimed its composer one of the neglected geniuses of 20th-century music. Honegger's music synthesizes the shaded delicacy of Debussy, the kinetic energy and dissonance of Stravinsky, and the polyphonic chorale tradition deriving from Bach into a dense, rich musical language of solidity, integrity, and eloquence. I vastly prefer Honegger to Bartok or Shostakovich (two composers that another reviewer mentioned as possible preambles to these symphonies), and I find it a scandal that he is not better known. It is fortunate that an important conductor such as Karajan chose to record these works. The church acoustic lends a spacious airiness to the recording, and the playing is of undeniable commitment, fullness, passionate virtuosity, and expressive depth. Karajan's readings of the magnificent adagio and the final andante of the LITURGIQUE stretch out their astonishing beauty. Symphony #2 for strings, which was new to me upon hearing this recording, is a moody, haunting work and every bit as fine as Symphony #3. No one should call himself well-rounded in 20th-century music without knowing Arthur Honegger's rich blend of French sensibility and German self-expression, and lovers of the symphony would be denying themselves much in ignoring these important contributions.

As excellent a work as it is, the Concerto in D by Stravinsky feels like an an unwelcome intrusion. In my opinion, these powerful Honegger symphonies need no makeweight!

Beautiful Honegger .......2005-08-09

I have this fabulous 3rd symphony (too bad the 5th ("Di Tre Re") wasn't also included in this set) with Baudo & the Czech Phil., and I prefer it a bit to this one (of course you can't get the Baudo anymore, probably). I agree with the many criticisms of von K. that he approaches much of his music in too refinedly a manner. Cf. his Sibelius symphonies, still available on DG CD. But, still, a beautiful performance of an outstanding symphony. Honegger was by far the most important of "Les Six" and I agree with the reviewer above who can't explain his limited popularity.

Honegger: Symphonies #1-5, Pacific 231; Michel Plasson; Orchestre du Capitole du Toulouse

Average customer rating:

This Honegger's Not Half-Bad

Honegger: Symphonies #1-5, Pacific 231; Michel Plasson; Orchestre du Capitole du Toulouse
Arthur Honegger , Michel Plasson , and Orchestre du Capitole du Toulouse
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Honegger
Carlos Chávez: The Complete Symphonies
Milhaud: La Création du monde; Le Buf sur le toit; Saudades do Brasil
Joseph Marx: Nature Trilogy
Honegger: Symphonies 1-5; Pacific 231; Rugby

ASIN: B0000CE7FR
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Tracks:

I: Allegro Marcato
II: Adagio
III: Presto
I: Molto Moderato - Allegro - Yan-Pascal Tortelier
II: Adagio Mesto - Yan-Pascal Tortelier
III: Vivace Ma Non Troppo - Presto - Yan-Pascal Tortelier
I: 'Dies Irae': Allegro Marcato - Calvin Sieb
II: 'De Profundis Clamavi': Adagio - Calvin Sieb
III: 'Dona Nobis Pacem': Andante - Calvin Sieb

Tracks:

I: Lento E Misterioso - Allegro - Lento - Allegro Molto Tranquillo
II: Larghetto
III: Allegro - Adagio - Allegro
I: Grave
II: Allegretto - Adagio - Allegretto
III: Allegro Marcato
Pacific 231 (Mouvement Symphonique No.1)

Customer Reviews:

This Honegger's Not Half-Bad.......2005-11-12

EMI has had their share of questionable reissues lately, but the label's new "Gemini" series is certainly something to get excited about. These two-disc titles feature first rate performances at a true budget price, even less expensive than the company's own "Double Forte" line. As I did not have a complete Honegger cycle in my collection, I decided to get this set recently featuring the five Symphonies and Pacific 231 (Mouvement Symphonique No. 1). These recordings by Michel Plasson and the Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse from the late 1970s are enjoyable, if not stellar. I certainly don't prefer the accounts featured here to those I have by Karajan (Syms 2 & 3), Munch (Syms 2 & 5 with Boston and Sym 2 with Paris) and Scherchen (Pacific 231), but I'm still glad to have purchased it. At this low price, what's not to like?

Honegger: Pacific 231, mouvement symphonique No1; Symphony No3

Average customer rating:

Honegger: Pacific 231, mouvement symphonique No1; Symphony No3

Manufacturer: EMI Records [All429]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000DNTD
Release Date: 1994-07-19

Tracks:

Sym No.2: I. Molto Moderato - Allegro
Sym No.2: II. Adagio Mesto
Sym No.2: III. Vivace Non Troppo - Presto
Sym No.3 'Liturgique': I. Dies Irae: Allegro Marcato
Sym No.3 'Liturgique': II. De Profundis Clamavi: Adagio
Sym No.3 'Liturgique': III. Dona Nobis Pacem: Andante - Adagio
Pacific 231: Movt Sym No.1

Honegger: Symphony No. 3 "Liturgique", Symphony No. 2 for String Orchestra and Trumpet

Average customer rating:

Honegger: Symphony No. 3 "Liturgique", Symphony No. 2 for String Orchestra and Trumpet

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000E3YY
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Average customer rating:

Absolutely brilliant
Why is Honegger not more popular?
Unjustly forgotten music.
The best complete set available
Good, but not Flawless

Honegger: Symphonies 1 - 5, etc

Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000J7ON
Release Date: 1999-06-08

Tracks:

Symphony No. 1: Allegro marcato
Symphony No. 1: Adagio
Symphony No. 1: Presto - Andante tranquillo
Symphony No. 2 'For Strings': Molto moderato - Allegro
Symphony No. 2 'For Strings': Adagio mesto
Symphony No. 2 'For Strings': Vivace non troppo
Symphony No. 5 'Di tre re': Grave
Symphony No. 5 'Di tre re': Allegretto. Adagio. Allegretto. Adagio. Allegretto
Symphony No. 5 'Di tre re': Allegro marcato

Tracks:

Symphony No. 3 'Liturgique': 'Dies irae' - Allegro marcato
Symphony No. 3 'Liturgique': 'De profundis clamavi' - Adagio
Symphony No. 3 'Liturgique': 'Dona nobis pacem' - Andante
Symphony No. 4 'Deliciae Basilienses': Lento e misterioso - Allegro
Symphony No. 4 'Deliciae Basilienses': Larghetto
Symphony No. 4 'Deliciae Basilienses': Allegro
Pacific 231: Mouvement symphonique
Rugby: Mouvement symphonique

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely brilliant.......2005-02-15

Excellent performances of brilliant symponies by an unjustly neglected great 20th C composer.

Lots of dissonance and energy in all these works.
Sym 1 alone is a very powerful work.

Strongly recommended.

Why is Honegger not more popular?.......2001-03-21

This is the only complete set of Honegger's symphonies. We are extremely lucky, then, that the performances on this album are so good. At the risk of repeating other reviewers I must say that I find it not only unjust, but inexplicable as to why Honneger is not more popular. His symphonies are varied, original and, with the possible exception of the fifth, of the utmost quality. From the youthful, often dissonant vigor of the first we move to tranquillity and absolute despair in the second, scored only for strings until the tension is relieved at the end by a solo trumpet. The third, like the second, was penned by an artist deeply affected by WWII. The fourth is a work of a completely different cut, with its delicate, almost chamber-like scoring and lighthearted material. The fifth is, in my opinion, his weakest, although it is by no means bad music. Rugby is a dynamic portrayal of movement in music, as is the overwhelming Pacific 231, a piece which paints a musical picture of a great steam locomotive. The sense of momentum Honegger creates in Pacific 231 amazes me every time I listen to it, if you close your eyes you can almost feel yourself hurtling across the countryside at hundreds of miles an hour. If you want a complete set of Honegger's symphonies this is the only option, and thankfully it's a very good one.

Unjustly forgotten music........2000-12-14

Here's one composer that has fallen into a relative obliivion. Among "Les Six" , a group of provocative young composers thriving in the ebullient Paris of the 1920's, Honegger (1892 -1955 ) was the one who achieved the widest fame and actually entered the international concert circuit. Among the others Milhaud also seemed to make the breakthrough, but his self-consciously "shocking" music soon outstayed its welcome while Durey, Tailleferre and Auric never produced anything substantial. Poulenc, instead, was regarded as a guilty pleasure, a charming but superficial composer whose allegedly shaky technique precluded him the big symphonic form. Big symphonic form that was exactly Honegger's forteè. After Honegger's death, though things began to change and now it's the once-ridiculed Poulenc that enjoys a far wider notoriety, thanks to the warmth of his music and its genuine intimate quality. Since the 70's (when Karajan's legendary account of the 2nd sym was recorded), Honegger's music slipped away from critical esteem, concert-halls and recording business. Suffice it to say that Dutoit's set is the only major digital cycle, and it was recorded in the mid 80's! Clearly, the post-war reaction again "conservative" music was a major reason for this but, also, I think Honegger's contradictions worked against him: he declared that he wanted to compose austere, highly serious music but, at the same time, he produced a huge number of works in almost any known form ( symphonies, oratorios, chamber music, movie scores) , with unavoidable unevenness of inspiration. At his best, though, Honegger is a highly rewarding composer. His music reflects a wide range of moods, being capable of lyricism and youthful exuberance, wild anger and desolation. Also, his evolution provides a rewarding variety of style, from the aggressive motorism of the 1920's to the austere Neo-Classicism of the later works. His orchestration is also very individual , featuring a peculiarly astringent, strongly contrasted sound, with original choices in instrumentation, like the frequent use of the saxophone. Luckily this set is not just an obligatory chioce but it's also highly recommendable. Not only is Dutoit at home with this repertoire, he also makes the Bavarians play this music as if it was their standard concert-fare. The peculiarly brilliant, silvery tone of this splendid ensemble sounds actually more attuned to the music than the sheen

provided by the Berliners for Karajan, that sometimes buried in gloss the details (e.g. the trumpet in the 2nd, that can be heard here thanks to a better textural control and absolutely first-class recording). I'll try a brief description of the works. Sym 1: it's the less known, but it's one of my Honegger favorites. It's an eminently abstract work, whose orchestral virtuosity and exuberance sound very appropriate to Kussevitzky's Boston SO, for which it was composed. It also has a ravishing, intimate middle movement. Sym 2 and 3 are very much "war" symphonies, even if a way very different from, say, Shostakovich 7th. Rather than the struggle for the final victory, they express endless anguish and pain (1941's second), but also the rage for the loss of so many lives and the search for solace (1946's third). It's no concidence that these two feature some of Honegger's most angry, dissonant music. Sym 4 was composed for Paul Sacher's Basle orchestra (hence the subtitle) and it's indeed delighful, almost Haydnian in its luminous textures and smiling irony. With Sym 5 we return to severity and broad symphonic canvases. This one is also a splendid work, with a prevailing note of pessimism , both personal ( Honegger just had a stroke) and general ( he didn' like the direction music was taking, maybe he foresaw his own fate). The subtitle ( "of the three D's ") refers to the fact that the work's three movements end with that note. In my opinion it's the work that features more prominently a peculiarly Honeggerian "dark transparency" in the sound. (I know it sounds weird but I swear it makes sense once you hear the music! ) The first two Mouvements Symphoniques are Honegger's most famous works. Suffice it to say that neither the shatteringly inexorable progression of "Pacific 231" nor the endlessly seductive rondo-like gestures of "Rugby" deserve to be downgraded as "descriptive" music, as they often are. My quibbles: the ridicolously scanty notes provided and the fact that they could not include two essential pieces, the striking Mouvement Symphonique n.3 that Honegger composed for Furtwangler and the caressingly beautiful "Pastorale d'eté" To hear those as splendidly performed by this same team you should buy the other Honegger release in this series (Ultima 3984-24244-2). That also contains Le Roi David by Dutoit and several orchestral pieces conducted by Marius Constant. That's a less essential release, but those two pieces alone would be worthy the expense. I strongly recommend this one to everybody interested in 20th century music.

The best complete set available.......2000-08-30

I bought these performances individually when they came out in the mid 1980s. They are probably the best played, most idiomatic performances of the Honegger symphonies conducted by the most noted conductor of French music today. Dutoit and the Bavarians bring out both the grit and the heartbreak in these deeply felt symphonies. If I have reservations about this compilation it is because they have eliminated some of the extra pieces that were in the original Erato releases, like the Pastorale and Mouvement Symphonique no. 3. However, with the major labels apparently scaling down their classical activity, I'm not going to quibble. You should probably get this one quickly before it goes out of print.

Good, but not Flawless.......2000-03-28

This is a convenient set of the very moving and expressive Honegger symphonies. The performances are good, but by no means perfect. Dutoit, I would normally not associate with conducting Honegger as he seems to prefer lighter and less violent music. However he handles the the works fairly well. The Symphony 1 is the composers harshest and most rythmically complex symphony. The orchestra does a fine job with these gawky rythms, but still seems somewhat restrained. The second and third symphonies are also given adequate performances though like the first the manic wildness of them is not fully released. By far the most passionate and intense recording of the second and third is Herbert von Karajan's version on the DG label. Probably the best performance on these discs is that of the Symphony 4. This is the most suited for Dutoit for it is the gentlest of the 5 symphonies. The orchestra does a beautiful job and the work absolutely sparkles with orchestral color. The fifth symphony is also given a solid performance. Included as a bonus is two of the Symphonic Movements: Pacific 2.3.1., and Rugby. Overall this a good buy for anyone wanting to get acquainted with symphonies of one of the twentieth centuries most underated composers: Arthur Honegger.

Honegger: Symphony No. 3 ("Liturgique"), etc.

Average customer rating:

Outstanding!
Sterling Honegger from New Zealand

Honegger: Symphony No. 3 ("Liturgique"), etc.

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0002JEG54
Release Date: 2004-09-21

Tracks:

I. Dies Irae: Allegro Marcato
II. De Profundis Clamavi: Adagio
III. Dona Nobis Pacem: Andante
'Rugby' Mouvement Symphonique: Allegro
Movement Symphonique No. 3: Allegro Marcato
'Pacific 231' Mouvement Symphonique: Modere
Pastorale D'Ete: Calme

Album Description

In an age of remarkable individuals, Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saints-Georges, son of a French colonial planter and a beautiful Senegalese slave, occupied a unique position as athlete, swordsman, military commander, huntsman, violin virtuoso and conductor. Though written for his own use, the violin concertos are more than vehicles for mere virtuosic display. Lyrical, expressive slow movements are flanked by often highly original outer movements, quite unlike anything written by Viennese composers such as Haydn, Hofmann and Dittersdorf. Had Mozart seen Saint-Georges play the brilliant Concerto No. 10 while he was in Paris in 1778, he would have heard many things in it to admire.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding!.......2006-07-09

J Scott Morrison pretty much said it all in the previous review but I would just like to reiterate that the performance from the NZSO is truly excellent. The woodwind, brass and percussion, in particular, play their hearts out and have a rollicking good time with these vibrant and occasionally astringent scores. Furthermore, the sound quality of the recording is excellent - the best I've ever heard from Naxos.

If you're not very familiar with Honegger (other than 'Pacific 231'), then this would be a great (and cheap!) place to start.

Note to classical saxophonists: the 'Mouvement symphonique no.3' features a (well-played on this recording) tenor saxophone solo midway through.

Sterling Honegger from New Zealand.......2004-11-16

I'm a latecomer to the appreciation of Honegger's music. With the exception of such things as the Fourth Symphony ('Deliciae Basiliensis,' an urban night-piece the equal of Vaughan Williams's 'London Symphony,' and 'Pastoral d'Été,' in a classic recording by Hermann Scherchen) I've known little of his music until fairly recently. I credit a friend whose judgment I admire and who kept after me about my having called Honegger a 'gray composer' that I've come to value much of his that I've heard in recent years. I've made up for lost time, but I'm far from an expert on his output yet. Still, I've heard the Karajan and Munch recordings of his Third Symphony and was pretty familiar with the work when this new release came my way.

Honegger wrote two war symphonies, the Second (1941) and this one, the Third (1945). Both depict the horror of war and each ends with some hope for the future, although I must admit that Honegger was clear-eyed about the after-war period not being all moonlight and roses. The Third, subtitled 'Liturgique,' is not actually a religious symphony in the usual sense of the word. Rather it uses Latin phrases from the liturgy to describe the feeling of each of its three movements: 'Dies irae,' 'De profundis clamavi' and 'Dona nobis pacem' ('Day of Wrath,' 'Out of the Depths We Cry,' and 'Give Us Peace'). The first movement is a furious allegro that is hard-edged and even ugly at times. This is angry, anguished music. The second, an adagio, is a heartfelt cry of supplication. The third is a bit calmer but still has more than a little resignation and cynicism about it, even though a kind of uneasy quiet is achieved at the end. There is one theme that occurs in all three movement, one that Honegger called 'the bird theme' and it can be thought of as representing the dove of peace. It is quoted in its most serene form at the end of the piece, but there is still the unease of diffidence about it. No wonder; Honegger's Fifth Symphony, the last he wrote, returns to this anguished outcry. Takuo Yuasa and his New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, in superb modern sound, turn in an edgy, committed and richly sonorous performance here. This is not easy music (to play to or to listen to) but it is important music and needs to be heard. I've never seen it in programmed in a live symphony concert but it has been recorded many times by such conductors as Jansons, Järvi, Luisi and Baudo. What a pity it's not often heard, particularly in these days of war.

Honegger wrote four symphonic movements that stand alone: 'Pastorale d'Été' (1920), 'Pacific 231,' (1923), 'Rugby' (1928), and 'Symphony Movement No. 3' (1933). It is supposed that he grew leery of programmatic titles when it came to the last one. 'Pastorale d'Été' is marked 'calme' and is a luscious string-dominated piece that features sensuous solos by various wind solos. 'Pacific 231' depicts a steam train of that name in motion, starting up slowly, gathering speed with much huffing and puffing and then chugging away. An exciting piece, excitingly played here, Honegger's 'Short Ride in a Slow Machine.' 'Rugby' is a scherzo with brilliant orchestration--it reminds me of Dukas in places--that has, among other things, a chorale theme that is stirring. I don't actually hear much here that sounds like a rugby match, but who am I to say? 'Mouvement symphonique No. 3' is rather more astringent than its brothers and features vigorous polytonal chords but also a plaintive tenor sax solo midway along.

If you don't know any of Honegger's orchestral music, this might be a good place to start. Naxos, of course, is a budget label and so it won't cost you much to make Honegger's acquaintance. For those of you have elderly versions of these pieces, you could certainly do worse than get this CD. I hope that the next issue from Yuasa and the New Zealand orchestra will contain the infectious, even light-hearted Symphony No. 4. It still remains my favorite of the four symphonies I know (I don't think I've ever heard Symphony No. 1).

By the way, Honegger was also a prolific composer of movie music back in the 1930s and his score for the 1934 French movie, 'Les Misérables,' is scheduled to come out on Naxos in a month or two; it had previously been released on Naxos's full-priced sister label, Marco Polo, and I can assure you it is a winner. Also on Marco Polo is his music for Abel Gance's legendary silent classic, 'Napoléon.'

Scott Morrison

Average customer rating:

Honest performance of the Concerto da Camera
Upped to five stars
Very nice interpretation of the Concerto da Camera

Honegger: Pacific 231 / Rugby

Manufacturer: Denon Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Satie: Orchestral Works

ASIN: B0000034W8
Release Date: 1996-04-09

Tracks:

Rugby, mouvement symphoique
Pacific 231, mouvement symphoique
Concerto Da Camera
Pastorale D'Ete
Symphonie Liturgique

Customer Reviews:

Honest performance of the Concerto da Camera.......2006-10-12

There are recordings of the Concerto da Camera that are classic, in every sense of the word. Maurice Sharp's recording is one such "LP" recording of this work. However, CD is here-n-now, and this recording gives the listener a musical, technically clean and well executed interpretation of this lovely work.

Upped to five stars.......2000-08-23

In listening to this CD again and again, I've come to appreciate Fournet's interpretations much more. Yes, they are slower than the norm, but the details that emerge from Honegger's scoring show the composer's mastery of the orchestra. The Concerto da Camera is still wonderful, but Fournet's interpretation of Pastorale d'ete, and specifically Pacific 231 and Rugby highlight strands of counterpoint I had never heard before. This is really a great disc of Honegger's and I recommend it unreservedly.

Very nice interpretation of the Concerto da Camera.......1999-10-26

This addition to the Honegger discography includes most of his familiar works but is graced by the addition of his late Concerto da Camera, one of Honegger's finest compositions. The interpretation by Fournet and his forces is wonderful. One might want to look elsewhere for better versions of Honegger's Third Symphony, but the Concerto and the Pastorale are very nicely done. Denon's sound is state of the art.

Average customer rating:

Honegger: Symphonies 1, 2, 3

Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000005GPX
Release Date: 1992-07-07

Arthur Honegger: Symphony No. 1 / Pastorale d'Été / Pacific 231 / Rugby / Symphonic Movement No. 3, to Wilhelm Furtwängler - Charles Dutoit

Average customer rating:

Arthur Honegger: Symphony No. 1 / Pastorale d'Été / Pacific 231 / Rugby / Symphonic Movement No. 3, to Wilhelm Furtwängler - Charles Dutoit
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000005E63
Release Date: 1992-04-09

Average customer rating:

Yevgeny Mravinsky Vols. 1-10

Manufacturer: Melodiya
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000001HC6
Release Date: 1995-06-13

Tracks:

Oberon: Ov
Sym No. 8 in b, D759 'Unfinished': 1. Allegro moderato
Sym No. 8 in b, D759 'Unfinished': 2. Andante con moto
Sym No. 2 in D, Op. 73: 1. Allegro non troppo
Sym No. 2 in D, Op. 73: 2. Adagio non troppo
Sym No. 2 in D, Op. 73: 3. Allegretto grazioso (Quasi Andantino)-Presto ma non assai
Sym No. 2 in D, Op. 73: 4. Allegro con spirito

Tracks: