Who was Arthur Honegger?
Q: Who was Arthur Honegger?
A: Arthur Honegger was a Swiss composer who was born in Le Havre, France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. He was a member of the group of composers called Les Six.
Q: What is the most popular piece of music by Arthur Honegger?
A: His most popular piece of music is an orchestral work called Pacific 231, which imitates the sound of a steam locomotive.
Q: Where did Arthur Honegger study music?
A: He studied harmony and violin in Paris until his parents moved to Zürich, Switzerland, when he studied at the Conservatory there. He then went back to Paris to study with Charles-Marie Widor and Vincent d'Indy.
Q: Who did Arthur Honegger marry?
A: In 1926 he married Andrée Vaurabourg, a pianist and fellow student at the Paris Conservatoire. They often went on tour together, and his wife played the piano parts to his compositions. The couple had one daughter, Pascale, born in 1932. Honegger also had a son, Jean-Claude (1926-2003) whose mother was the singer Claire Croiza.
Q: What is "Le Roi David"?
A: In the early 1920s Honegger became famous with the "dramatic psalm" "Le Roi David" ("King David"), which is still often sung by choirs.
Q: What story does Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher tell?
A: Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher tells the story of Joan of Arc. It is one of his best works written between World Wars I and II .
Q: How did World War II affect Arthur Honegger's career?
A: During World War II Honegger could not leave Paris so he joined French Resistance instead but continued writing very serious music including four symphonies (numbers 2-5) and some religious music
