Arthur Honegger

Arthur Honegger (1892-1955), Swiss by nationality, French by education and residence, is a major composer of the twentieth century. Along with Poulenc and Milhaud he was a member of Le Groupe des Six and attained a certain notoriety with his composition "Pacific 2.3.1," a musical representation of a steam locomotive. Although he earned popular acclaim early in his career, in his later years his consistently tonal musical language was considered outmoded. His most significant works include five symphonies; a large body of chamber music; and several large-scale oratorios that combine choral and instrumental writing with declaimed narrative in a uniquely effective way. He was also among the first composers to write scores for films, including Abel Gance's masterpiece "NapolŽ on."