Editing Arthur Honegger (section)

==Biography==
{{More citations needed|section|date=July 2023}}
[[File:Arthur Honegger, plaque au Havre (France).jpg|thumb|Plaque at the Honegger home in Le Havre]]
Born '''Oscar-Arthur Honegger''' (the first name was never used) to Swiss parents in [[Le Havre]], France, he initially studied [[harmony]] with [[Robert-Charles Martin]] (to whom he dedicated his first published work<ref>{{cite book | last=Meylan | first=Pierre | title=Arthur Honegger | publisher=L'age D'homme | date=1970 | isbn=978-2-8251-3235-7}}</ref>) and violin in Le Havre. He then moved to Switzerland, where he spent two years (September 1909 – June 1911) at the [[Zurich University of the Arts|Zurich Conservatory]] being taught by [[Lothar Kempter]] and [[Friedrich Hegar]]. In 1911, he enrolled in the [[Paris Conservatoire]] from 1911 to 1918 (except for a brief period during the winter of 1914–1915, when he was mobilised in Switzerland), studying with [[Charles-Marie Widor]], [[Lucien Capet]], [[André Gedalge|André Gédalge]] and [[Vincent d'Indy]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1955/11/29/arthur-honegger_1947149_1819218.html | title=Arthur Honegger | date=29 November 1955 }}</ref> Gédalge encouraged him to compose and Honegger announced his decision to become a composer in a letter to his parents dated 28 April 1915. He then praised his teacher Gédalge and his ''Traité de la fugue'' (1904), "the most complete work ever written on the subject". Gédalge taught his pupils the craft while respecting their ideas and personalities, he went on, and added that while some teachers trained their pupils well to succeed in competitions, "the most advanced musicians in terms of modern spirit were Gédalge's pupils".<ref>Halbreich 1992, p. 35-36</ref>

Among his notable early works are his ''Six Poèmes d'Apollinaire'' (poems from ''[[Alcools]]''), premiered in 1916 and 1918; 'Hommage à Ravel' from the ''Trois pièces pour piano'' (1915); ''Quatre Poèmes'' H. 7 (1914–1916);<ref>''Quatre Poèmes'' on poems by [[André Fontainas]], [[Jules Laforgue]], [[Francis Jammes]] and [[Arshag Chobanian]]</ref> ''Trois Poèmes de [[Paul Fort]]'' (1916); his very Debussian ''Prélude pour Aglavaine et Sélysette'' (inspired by [[Maurice Maeterlinck]]'s play : the prelude was premiered at the orchestral class in 1917, with a public premiere in 1920); ''Le Dit des Jeux du monde'', commissioned in April 1918 by the Belgian poet {{Interlanguage link|Paul Méral|fr}}, premiered by [[Walther Straram]] at [[Jane Bathori]]'s [[Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier]], in December 1918 (Composed of thirteen short pieces that at times evoke [[Arnold Schoenberg|Schönberg]], this work dedicated to [[Fernand Ochsé]], " caused a scandal comparable in every way to those of [[The Rite of Spring]] or of [[Parade (ballet)|Parade]]"<ref>Halbreich 1992, p. 65</ref>); ''Le Chant de Nigamon'' (1918, public premiere by the Orchestre Pasdeloup in 1920: his first symphonic piece, inspired by [[Gustave Aimard]]'s adventure novel ''Le Souriquet'' with Native American themes (thanks to [[Julien Tiersot]]'s ''Notes d'ethnographie musicale''); his first String Quartet, "the composer's first fully accomplished masterpiece" (Halbreich 1992, p.&nbsp;311) premiered in 1919 by the Quatuor Capelle; music for ''Vérité ? Mensonge ?'', a ballet by [[André Hellé]]:<ref>[https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k76478212/f1.item.r=%22V%C3%A9rit%C3%A9%20%3F%20Mensonge%20%3F%22%22Andr%C3%A9%20Hell%C3%A9%22.zoom ''Comœdia'', 26 November 1920]</ref> four out of the ten tableaux were premiered at the [[Salon d'automne]], on 25 November 1920,<ref>[https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k4603464g/f4.item.r=%22V%C3%A9rit%C3%A9%20%3F%20Mensonge%20%3F%22honegger.zoom ''Excelsior'']</ref> with [[Yvonne Daunt]]; and in 1920–1921 ''[[Pastorale d'été (Honegger)|Pastorale d'été]]'' premiered by [[Vladimir Golschmann]].

While at the conservatoire, Honegger befriended [[Jacques Ibert]], then [[Darius Milhaud|Milhaud]], and then met [[Germaine Tailleferre]] and later [[Georges Auric]] was well as the pianist [[Andrée Vaurabourg]]. The first concert of the [[Les Six#Les nouveaux jeunes|Nouveaux Jeunes]] took place at the [[Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier]] on 15 January 1918: [[Jane Bathori]] and Andrée Vaurabourg gave the ''Six Poèmes d'Apollinaire'' (now complete for the first time). Roland-Manuel was present, Halbreich notes that he might well have been one of the Six, as well as [[Jacques Ibert]].<ref>Halbreich 1992, p. 69</ref> Those who would later be known as "[[Les Six]]" wanted to create a fresh, French style of composition. Honegger was far from blending in with the group as his style was somewhat more serious ("I don't have a cult for street fairs or the music-hall", he wrote in a letter to [[Paul Landormy]]) and complex. Nevertheless, this association was important in establishing his reputation in the Parisian music scene. Honegger collaborated with the other members of Les Six only in 1920 (with a short 'Sarabande' for [[L'Album des Six]]), and 1921 (with a 'Marche funèbre' for [[Les mariés de la tour Eiffel]], and finally in 1952 (with a 'Toccata' for [[La Guirlande de Campra]]).

Honegger's ''Sonata for cello and piano'' H. 32 composed in 1920 was premiered in 1921 by [[Diran Alexanian]] et Andrée Varabourg : it « should be part of every cellist's repertoire » (Halbreich 1992, p.&nbsp;330). He also wrote ''[[Danse de la chèvre]]'' (1921), which has become a staple in the flute repertoire. The work is dedicated to [[René Le Roy]] and written for solo flute.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Danse de la Chèvre Arthur Honegger – ProQuest |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/f732a0faf4f761fb6f290536f2fd8e07/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=26252 |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=proquest.com}}</ref>

[[Loie Fuller]] danced on three of the dances of ''Le Dit des Jeux du monde'' early in 1921.<ref>Halbreich 1992, p. 86</ref> Also in 1921 [[Ernest Ansermet]] conducted the avant-garde music of the ballet-pantomime ''Horace victorieux'' in Lausanne (in a concert version). It evokes the fight of the [[Horatii and Curiatii]] and concludes with Camilla's death. Still in 1921, [[René Morax]] commissioned Honegger to write ''[[Le Roi David]]'': he completed his score in two months, and on 11 June the 'dramatic psalm' (written as incidental music) was triumphantly received. On 13 March 1924, Honegger shot to fame when the French version re-orchestrated for large orchestra of ''Le Roi David'' was performed in Paris under the baton of [[Robert Siohan]]. It is still in the choral repertoire. "Making ''Le Roi David'' into an oratorio [or a 'psaume symphonique'] is one of the key events in the musical life of the first half of the 20th century," musicologist Mathieu Ferey wrote in the booklet for the recording of ''Le roi David'' by Daniel Reuss (Mirare). In this version, the spoken voices are replaced by a narrator, but the instrumentation remains the same: the work is written for the seventeen instruments available at the Théâtre du Jorat: no strings except for a double bass, winds, percussion, piano, harmonium and celesta. It was conducted by [[Georges Martin Witkowski]] in Lyon in January 1923 and is still played and recorded today.

Honegger's works were played in the US from 1921 when [[Rudolph Ganz]] directed ''Horace'' and ''Pastorale d'été''.<ref>Collester, Colette (1995). Rudolph Ganz: A Musical Pioneer (1st ed.). Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press. pp. 38–56, 124–129. ISBN 0-8108-2883-9</ref>

In 1922, Honegger became one of the first major composers (after Camille Saint-Saëns) to write music specifically for films. His score (of which only the 'Ouverture' remains) for the silent film "[[La Roue]]" (1923) by Abel Gance marked the beginning of his long involvement with film music. 1922 He had met Gance through the French writer [[Ricciotto Canudo]], an advocate of cinema as the "Seventh Art". He worked for Gance again in 1927 for [[Napoléon (1927 film)|Napoleon]] and in 1943 for [[Captain Fracasse (1943 film)|Captain Fracasse]].

1922 is also the year Honegger lost his mother (in February) and father (in September).

In 1923, Honegger composed a short piece which was to become one of this most often recorded works:<ref>Halbreich 1992, p. 781</ref> ''[[Pacific 231]]'', for the Concerts Koussevitzky at the Opéra de Paris in May 1924– although [[Serge Koussevitzky]] was already music director of the [[Boston Symphony Orchestra]]. The music captures the interest of the casual music lover as it mimics the sounds and motion of a steam locomotive – Honegger said "I have always loved locomotives passionately. For me they are living creatures…" but for the composer, the main point was to "giv[e] the impression of a mathematical acceleration of rhythm, while the movement itself slows down."<ref>Halbreich 1992, p. 430. The book analyses it in detail on pages 429–432.</ref>"

''Chanson de Ronsard'' H.54 (on Ronsard's 'Plus tu connais que je brûle pour toi',<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.lieder.net/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=13823 | title=Plus tu connais que je brûle pour toi &#124; LiederNet }}</ref> composed to mark the 450th anniversary of the poet's birth, exists in a version for voice and piano (premiered by Claire Croiza, 1924), and above all for voice, flute and string quartet (Régine de Lormoy, 1925).

Another significant work was "Judith" for René Morax's play, which continued his interest in religious themes. It was premiered as a biblical drama in December 1924 or January 1925 at the [[Théâtre du Jorat]], then reworked as an "opéra sérieux" (1926, Monte-Carlo), and finally became an oratorio (1927, Rotterdam). It is dedicated to [[Claire Croiza]] (the mother of his son Jean-Claude, 1926–2003) who sang the part of Judith in the first version. Halbreich (p.&nbsp;550) says that "Judith is full of marvellous, inspired music although the whole piece is imperfect."

In 1922, Honegger had written a very brief piece of incidental music for [[Jean Cocteau]]'s ''Antigone'' based on the [[Antigone (Sophocles play)|tragedy]] by Sophocles. The composer then developed it between 1924 and 1927 for the opera [[Antigone (Honegger)|Antigone]] which premiered on 28 December 1927 at the Théâtre Royal de [[la Monnaie]] under [[Maurice Corneil de Thoran]]'s baton, with sets designed by [[Pablo Picasso]] and costumes by [[Coco Chanel]]. It is dedicated to "Vaura" : [[Andrée Vaurabourg]] and is, according to Halbreich “the most arduous and least accessible of Honegger's works”,<ref>Halbreich, ''Arthur Honegger'', p. 551</ref> but according to Lacombe, “the most technically accomplished” and “Honegger's most important opera”.<ref>Hervé Lacombe (dir.), ''Histoire de l'Opéra français : de la belle époque au monde globalisé'', 2022, p. 362</ref>

In 1926, he married Andrée Vaurabourg, a pianist and fellow student at the [[Conservatoire de Paris|Paris Conservatoire]], on the condition that they live in separate apartments because he required solitude for composing. Andrée lived with her mother, and Honegger visited them for lunch every day.<ref>{{cite book|first=Lesley|last=Stephenson|editor=Don Weed|title=Symphony of Dreams: The Conductor and Patron Paul Sacher|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=2002|page=208|isbn=978-3-907625-10-1}}</ref> They lived apart for the duration of their marriage, with the exception of one year from 1935 to 1936 following Vaurabourg's injury in a car accident, and the last year of Honegger's life, when he was not well enough to live alone. They had one daughter, Pascale, born in 1932.

In 1928 Honegger composed a new symphonic movement called "Rugby," inspired by the sport. The music reflects "the attacks and counter-attacks of the game, the rhythm and colour of a match at the Colombe stadium", according to the composer himself.<ref>Halbreich 1992, p. 433</ref> On November 22, 1928, at the Palais Garnier under the direction of Walther Straram, Ida Rubinstein's Company premiered ''Les Noces de Psyché et de l'Amour'', choreographed by Nijinska to music by Bach (''Prelude and Fugue in C Major'', BWV 545) orchestrated by Honegger.”.<ref>Hervé Lacombe (dir.), ''Histoire de l'Opéra français: de la belle époque au monde globalisé'', 2022, p. 319</ref> Two more choreographic entertainments were premiered that night : ''La Bien-aimée'', adapted from themes by Schubert and Liszt by Darius Milhaud; and ''Boléro'', with original music by Maurice Ravel.

''La Tempête'', incidental music for Shakespeare's play, was composed between 1923 and 1929 and premiered in 1929.

In December 1930, at the [[Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens]], the first of Honegger's three operettas, ''[[Les Aventures du roi Pausole]]'', revealing a Honegger full of humour, was a huge success with no less than 800 performances according to Halbreich (p.&nbsp;671) The composer admitted to having three models here: Mozart, Chabrier and Messager (p.&nbsp;671). In 1932 ''Les Cris du monde'', an oratorio on a text by René Bizet (1887–1947) inspired (loosely) by John Keats' sonnet 'To Solitude', expressed Honegger's great pessimism : it was a warning against "everything that contributes to the loss of the soul and the death of the individual"<ref>Halbreich 1992, p. 507</ref> including pollution, noise, mass culture, etc.

The '' [[Symphony No. 1 (Honegger)|Symphony No. 1]] '' composed in 1929–30, was premiered in Boston and then in Paris in 1931. It is described by Harry Halbreich as "written in a language that is rougher and less spare than the following ones, despite a perfectly mastered form, at the crossroads of youth and maturity".<ref>Halbreich 1992 p. 378</ref> ''Mouvement symphonique No 3'' (composed in 1932–1933) was premiered in March 1933 by those who commissioned it: [[Wilhelm Furtwängler]] and the [[Berlin Philharmonic]]. G. K. Spratt thought it was his best symphonic piece so far.<ref>Halbreich 1992, p. 436</ref>

From 1925 onwards (''L'Impératrice aux rochers'' with very Fauréan passages), the patron [[Ida Rubinstein]] (a former dancer with the Ballets Russes) financed several works by Honegger, who collaborated with [[Paul Valéry]] for ''Amphion'' (1931), as well as the ballet ''Sémiramis'' (1934), created by Ida Rubinstein at the Opéra. The former is best remembered for the composer's ''Prelude, Fugue et Postlude'' (first performed in 1948).

Honegger also collaborated with [[Serge Lifar]] for ''Icare'' (1935) for percussion and double bass, then for ''Le Cantique des cantiques'', premiered in 1938.  On this occasion the choreographer published his manifesto ''La Danse et la Musique'' (''Revue Musicale'', March 1938) in which he claimed the pre-eminence of dancers and choreographers in the conception of ballets.

[[L'Aiglon (opera)|L'Aiglon]], drame lyrique (on a libretto by [[Henri Caïn|Henri Cain]] based on [[Edmond Rostand]]'s 1900 play, [[L'Aiglon]]"), about the life of [[Napoleon II]], was written in collaboration avec [[Jacques Ibert]] in 1936 and premiered in 1937. Kent Nagano released a good CD recording of it in 2016. With the same composer (Ibert) Honegger wrote the operetta ''Les Petites Cardinal'', in the same vein as ''Le Roi Pausole'' (Bouffes-Parisiens, 1938).<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1955/11/29/arthur-honegger_1947149_1819218.html | title=Arthur Honegger | date=29 November 1955 }}</ref> He also wrote a very short piano piece with an original title in English, ''Scenic Railway'' in 1937, premiered in 1938. It was his contribution to a collaborative work, ''Parc d'Attractions – Expo. 1937: Hommage à [[Marguerite Long]]''.<ref>The contributors to ''Parc d'Attractions – Expo. 1937'' were all French adoptees : Alexander Tcherepnin, Bohuslav Martinů, Federico Mompou, Vittorio Rieti, Ernesto Halffter, Alexandre Tansman, Marcel Mihalovici, Tibor Harsányi and of course Honegger.</ref>

He remained active in the field of film music, notably with scores for Raymond Bernard's "[[Les Misérables (1934 film)|Les Misérables]]" (1934), Pierre Chenal's''[[Crime and Punishment (1935 French film)|Crime and Punishment]]''; ''[[The Mutiny of the Elsinore (1936 film)|Les Mutinés de l'Elseneur]]'' and Anatole Litvak's''[[Mayerling (1936 film)|Mayerling]]'' (1936 film) p648, in collaboration with [[Maurice Jaubert]] (1936); and ''[[Pygmalion (1938 film)|Pygmalion]]'' (1938). In 1939, the film score for ''[[Love Cavalcade]]'' was written partly by Milhaud (''[[La cheminée du roi René]]'' is a suite drawn from his score) and partly by Honegger (His ''O Salutaris'' for voice, piano and organ or just organ (premiered in 1943) is derived from this work).

The ''Quartet n° 3'', "unquestionably the pinnacle of his chamber music " for {{Interlanguage link|Jacques Tchamkerten|fr}}<ref>booklet for Abeille Musique's 4 CD album ''Honegger : La musique de chambre'' (c2004)</ref> was also composed in 1936–37; it was premiered in October 1937 by the [[Pro Arte Quartet]]. It had been commissioned by [[Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge]]. After this work, Honegger stopped writing chamber music, with only a few exceptions.

On a new commission from Ida Rubinstein he wrote a "dramatic [[oratorio]]", ''[[Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher]]'', to a libretto by [[Paul Claudel]], premiered by [[Paul Sacher]] in Basel in 1938. It is thought of as one of his finest works,<ref>Depaulis, Jacques (1994). ''Paul Claudel et Ida Rubinstein: Une collaboration difficile''. Annales littéraires de l'Université de Franche-Comté, vol. 517 (in French). Presses Université Franche-Comté, pp. 72–73</ref> blending spoken word, music, and choral elements to tell the story of [[Joan of Arc]]. It remains one of his most frequently performed compositions. There is a DVD version recorded by Don Kent.

For [[Le Chant du Monde]], he harmonized several French folk songs recorded under Désormière's direction: ''La femme du marin'' (CdM 513, May 1938) and ''Les trois princesses au pommier doux'' (CdM 520, October 1938) and two of his works were recorded, again by Désormière: ''Jeunesse'' recorded by the Chorale de la jeunesse, with an orchestra directed by [[Roger Désormière]] (CdM 501, fév 1938) and ''Petite suite en trois parties''.<ref>1 Fernand Lhomme, saxophone and Jean Manuel, piano; 2 [[Marcel Moyse]] and his son [[Louis Moyse]], flutes; 3. Albert Locatelli, violin; Gaston Hamelin (1884–1951), clarinette; and Jean Manuel (CdM. 519, Mai 1938)</ref>

Things were not all good during the 1930s: in 1932, Honegger published "Pour prendre congé", an article in which he complained that his music was not understood, he felt he was on a dead end. When Hitler came to power, Honegger's works were banned (in Germany and later in the countries that were annexed). In 1934, Vaura was seriously injured a car accident – Honegger escaped without serious injury. Above all, the political climate in Europe was increasingly tense. In 1937, Honegger had written ''Jeunesse'' for the Fédération musicale populaire: it was a song celebrating the singing tomorrows after the success of the [[Front Populaire]]. The lyrics were by [[Paul Vaillant-Couturier]], a journalist at [[L'Humanité]] who tried to alert people to the realities of Hitler's regime and founded the first {{Interlanguage link|Maison de la culture|fr}} (which included the Fédération musicale populaire) in France. Honegger took a clear stand against the Nazi regime in the June 1939 issue of the magazine ''Clarté'':<ref>''Clarté'', [https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k3935095m/f65.item] page 1367</ref> "He who creates cannot reconcile his dignity as an artist with the enslavement that fascism imposes".<ref>Quoted in Halbreich 1992, pp. 196–197</ref> In 1931 Honegger, like many musicians and intellectuals, had already expressed his support for the manifesto for peace published in ''Notre temps''<ref>{{cite web | url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k4223093d/f49.item.zoom | title=Notre temps : Paraît chaque mois / Directeur Jean Luchaire; rédacteur en chef Jacques Chabannes | date=4 January 1931 }}</ref> which concluded with: "It is therefore important that this country [France], made so rich by its past achievements, should dare to proclaim that the new Europe and a Franco-German entente, which is its keystone, can only arise from agreements freely entered into by their pacified populations."<ref>Karine Le Bail, ''La musique au pas. Être musicien sous l'Occupation''. CNRS Editions 2016, p. 173</ref>

[[File:Serge Ivanoff et Arthur Honnerger.jpg|thumb|Arthur Honegger, as portrayed by [[Serge Ivanoff]], Paris, 1944]]

During World War II, Honegger, although he was Swiss, chose to remain in Paris, which was under Nazi occupation from 14 June 1940 to 24 August 1944. Honegger initially fled south, but returned to Paris at the end of October 1940. Nevertheless, he was allowed to continue his work without too much interference and even to travel abroad several times during the war years, mostly to conduct his music – only twice to Switzerland, and without his family.

In March 1940, in Basel, Sacher premiered the sacred oratorio ''La Danse des morts'', whose libretto was by Paul Claudel (and based on the Bible), and it was a great success.<ref>[https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1955/11/29/arthur-honegger_1947149_1819218.html ''Le Monde''']</ref> It was commissioned by Paul Sacher and the music was written between July and November 1938. In April 1940, the first of three radio plays for "Radio Lausanne" was broadcast, based on a text by the actor {{Interlanguage link|William Aguet|fr}}: "Christophe Colomb", the score of which dates from 1940 (and which can be heard in English on YouTube). Two more radio plays were written under the same conditions: ''Battements du monde'' (1944) and ''Saint François d'Assise'' (1949).
The premiere of ''Nicholas of Flüe'', composed in 1938–39 and scheduled for Zurich, finally took place in Solothurn, not far from Bern, in October 1940. The oratorio, written to the glory of the patron saint of Switzerland, [[Nicholas of Flüe]], based on the work of [[Denis de Rougemont]], was inspired by the euphoria triggered (initially) by the Munich agreements – which stirred the composer's pacifist feelings. "Honegger excelled in these large-scale frescoes that require a powerful breath. Rising very high, while retaining the popular character that befits them, he knew how to put into them as much poetry as familiar grandeur," wrote the critic of ''Le Monde''.<ref>[https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1955/11/29/arthur-honegger_1947149_1819218.html ''Le Monde'']</ref> The composition of the ''Sonata for solo violin'' premiered later by Christian Ferras (1953 Decca recording on YouTube) dates from the same period.

In 1941 Honegger became a music critic for ''[[Comœdia (journal)|Comœdia]]'', from its first to its last issue on 5 August 1944 (his contributions became irregular after the issue of 16 October 1943, perhaps due to his exclusion from the Front National des Musiciens). ''Comœdia'' was a journal of cultural information more or less dependent on the occupation authorities. Some time later, Honegger joined the [[Front National des Musiciens]], a resistance organisation founded within the Communist Party: he later considered that he had been co-opted because he wrote in ''Comœdia'', to defend French music.

1941 saw the premiere of ''Trois poèmes de Claudel'' (written in 1939–1940) by [[Pierre Bernac]] and Poulenc, "the pinnacle of the composer's entire melodic oeuvre" (H358)"; the composition of ''Petit cours de morale'' on extracts from the novel ''Suzanne et le Pacifique'' by Jean Giraudoux, premiered in 1942; and above all the writing of the second symphony.

The composer returned to incidental music with two small works premiered on 2 April 1941: ''La Mandragore'' (for Machiavelli's play ''[[The Mandrake]]'') and ''Prélude et postlude pour 'L'Ombre de la Ravine''' (for Synge's ''[[In the Shadow of the Glen]]'').

Honegger was later criticised for accepting an invitation from the Third Reich to attend the celebrations in Vienna for the 150th anniversary of Mozart's death, but it was on this occasion that he brought out of France the score of his second symphony (written in 1941–1942), which had been commissioned by the patron and yet conductor [[Paul Sacher]], and which was premiered in Zurich in 1942 under Sacher's direction. The ''[[Symphony No. 2 (Honegger)|Symphony No. 2]]'' is a work for strings and trumpet, and it reflects the dark and oppressive atmosphere of the war years, but the atmosphere changes in its final movement and finally offers a glimmer of hope with the introduction of a trumpet – about one minute from the end of the symphony. Halbreich considers it as the 'supreme masterpiece of its composer' and adds that it is one of his most frequently recorded pieces, along with ''Pacific 231''.<ref>Halbreich 1992, p. 384 & p. 781</ref>

On 3 February 1942, another event for which he was later reproached took place: he attended a reception at the Hotel Ritz organized by Heinz Schmidtke, head of the {{Interlanguage link| Propaganda-Abteilung Frankreich|fr}} section, given in honor of [[Heinz Drewes]] "and attended by various personalities from the Parisian musical world".<ref>''Le Matin'', 6 February 1942: [https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5873316/f2.item.r= &#91;archive&#93;"Dr%20Drewes".zoom]</ref> Drewes was head of Division X (in charge of music) of the [[Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda|Reichsministerium für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda]]. Some suspected that Honegger had taken advantage of the situation to further his own interests, but Halbreich makes light of this accusation.<ref>Halbreich 1992, p. 205-206</ref>

Works from this year include the ''Three Psalms'', completed in January 1941 and premiered in April 1942. At the same time, he was working on his ''Passion de [[Selzach]]'', based on a libretto by his compatriot [[Cäsar von Arx]]. The work begun in 1938, resumed in 1940–41 and again in 1942 and December 1944, finally came to nothing, but Honegger reused part of his work in the ''Cantate de Noël''.

In May 1942, Paul Sacher conducted the premiere of the ''Second Symphony'' in Zurich. In June 1942, a whole series of concerts took place to celebrate the composer's fiftieth birthday. Of particular note was the concert at which [[Charles Münch]] conducted the French premiere of the ''Second Symphony'', followed by ''Joan of Arc at the stake''. In October, he wrote the score requested by resistance fighter [[Pierre Blanchar]] for his film ''[[Secrets (1943 film)|Secrets]]''. He collaborated again with Blanchar, when he wrote the score of {{Interlanguage link|Un seul amour|fr}} the following summer.

Among the important events of 1943 were the recording of '' Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher'' on disc by {{Interlanguage link|Lodewijk de Vocht|nl}} and the premiere of [[Antigone (Honegger)|Antigone]] at the Opéra de Paris – but for only seventeen performances between 1943 and 1952. Honegger also wrote small pieces for [[Henry de Montherlant]]'s play ''Pasiphaé'' (1936), Claudel's [[The Satin Slipper|Le Soulier de Satin]], as well as a few very short works for six trombone players and percussions, ''Sodome et Gomorre'', for Giraudoux's play ''[[Sodom and Gomorrah (play)|Sodom and Gomorrah]]''.

The premiere recording of his ''Cello Concerto'' (composed in 1929 and premiered in 1930) was also made in 1943 by dedicatee and premiere performer [[Maurice Maréchal]] under the composer's baton.<ref>The CD ''Honegger Conducts Honegger'' contains 1930–1931 recordings of : Pacific 2.3.1, Rugby, Prelude to The Tempest, Pastorale d'été, Les Aventures du roi Pausole (extracts) and the 1943 recording of the Concerto for cello recorded in the Salle du Conservatoire, October 1943, by Maurice Maréchal for EMI.</ref>

Moreover, Honegger composed a score for the film ''[[Mermoz (film)|Mermoz]]'' based on the life of the aviator [[Jean Mermoz]] (mai 1943), and extracted two orchestral suites, "one of the most beautiful scores Honegger ever wrote for the cinema".<ref>Halbreich 1992, p. 472</ref> He also composed for Abel Gance's ''[[Captain Fracasse (1943 film)|Le Capitaine Fracasse]]'' just before Gance had to flee to Spain in August 1943. The piano score was recorded by [[Jean-Francois Antonioli]] but the full orchestra score seems to be lost. He also wrote a score for ''Callisto, la petite nymphe de Diane'', an animated cartoon by [[André Édouard Marty]], in collaboration with [[Alexis Roland-Manuel|Roland-Manuel]].

Finally, he wrote the music for a ballet, ''L'appel de la montagne'', which was premiered only in July 1945.

Honegger was expelled from the Front national des musiciens in 1943, maybe in September or October, presumably because he was considered too close to the enemy. Writing in ''Comœdia'' (now considered too collaborationist) now worked against him...

From January 1944, Honegger composed his music for the radio play ''Battements du monde'' and wrote several short pieces for ''Charles le téméraire'' (''Charles the Bold''), which premiered at the Théâtre du Jorat in May. He composed the 3rd and 4th songs of ''Quatre chansons pour voix grave''. Songs n°2 (text by {{Interlanguage link|William Aguet|fr}}), n°3 (on [[Paul Verlaine]]'s 'Un grand sommeil noir') and n°4 (on [[Pierre de Ronsard]]'s 'La terre les eaux va buvant') were premiered in May 1944 by Ginette Guillamat (1911–1999) and [[Pierre Sancan]], at the Salle du Conservatoire. The first song, based on a text by Arshag Chobanian, was not composed until December 1945. Then there was the composition of the 'Prologue' to ''Jeanne au bûcher'' – the work with its prologue was premiered only in February 1946, in Brussels. The other musical event of the year was, in March, the completion of the recording of ''Symphonie n°2'' by his friend [[Charles Münch]]; the first part of the recording had taken place in October 1942.

Two more significant events took place: firstly, the death of his friend [[Max Jacob]] who was arrested by the Gestapo in February and transferred to the [[Drancy internment camp]]. He died before the next convoy left for Auschwitz. Then, only a few days before the liberation of Paris, [[Louise Ochsé|Louise]] and [[Fernand Ochsé]] were arrested in Cannes, in July. When they were driven to Drancy, Honegger did his best on their behalf, in vain.

After the [[liberation of Paris]] and of [[liberation of France|France]], Honegger, a Swiss citizen, was not exactly "[[épuration légale|épuré]]" (tried). Although he was not officially reproached for anything, it so happened that his works disappeared from concert programmes.<ref>More details on this in 'Lettre de Darius Milhaud à Alexandre Tansman', 1945, quoted, then commented, by Erin K. Maher: ''Darius Milhaud in the United States, 1940–71: Transatlantic Constructions of Musical Identity'' (PhD thesis, Chapel Hill, 2016), p. 108 ff. Online (pdf): https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/pc289j467 [archive]) For Honegger's article on [[Hans Pfitzner]]'s Palestrina, see ''Comœdia'' of 4 April 1942; for Egk's on ''Peer Gynt'', issue of 9 October 1943. The French version of the A. Honegger page gives details on Honegger's articles for ''Comœdia''</ref>

From January 1945 (and until April 1946), Honegger began work on his third symphony, called ''[[Symphony No. 3 "Symphonie Liturgique" (Honegger)|Symphonie liturgique]]'', dedicated to Münch, who conducted its premiere in Zurich in 1946.  The three movements take their titles from the parts of the [[Music for the Requiem Mass|Requiem Mass]] (like Britten's earlier [[Sinfonia da Requiem]]): [[Dies irae]], [[Psalm 130|De profundis clamavi]]<ref>'De profundis clamavi' is not a part of a Catholic Requiem Mass, although it may have been performed at funerals, but it can be used in Protestant Requiem Masses usually composed for concert performance rather than liturgical use.</ref> and [[Dona nobis pacem]]. Honegger evokes war, then what remains in man that drives him to elevate himself, and finally what the composer calls "the inevitable rise of the stupidity of the world" – before, in the final few bars, "the symphony ends with an – alas! – utopian evocation of what life could be like in mutual brotherhood and love" says Honegger whose voice was recorded.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLNTbG6GKJM&list=OLAK5uy_mkZnnZh-FwaJEFXXvXOmjhykW9M1ORaqs&index=12 Youtube]</ref>

According to [[René Dumesnil]], the ''Symphonie liturgique'' achieves a grandeur to which very few musicians have attained":<ref>[https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1955/11/29/arthur-honegger_1947149_1819218.html ''Le Monde''']</ref> it was "for about ten years one of the most performed works of contemporary music".<ref>Halbreich 1992, p. 390</ref> Halbreich sees the 'De profundis' as "one of the highest peaks of his work".<ref>Halbreich 1992, p. 221</ref>

Apart from this symphony, he also wrote a ''Morceau de concours pour violon et piano'' (a competition piece) in June, in time for the Conservatoire exams (but good enough to have been recorded): he was a member of the boards of examiners of the Conservatoire and the [[École Normale de Musique de Paris]] – although he started teaching (at the ENM) only in 1946; a short piece for cello solo, ''Paduana'' in July, a "truly superb piece" for Halbreich";<ref>Halbreich 1992, p. 340</ref> he also set to music a poem by painter [[Henri-Jean Guillaume Martin|Henri Martin]] (1860–1943), ''Ô temps, suspends ton vol'' (the title echoes a line from 'Le Lac', a famous poem by Lamartine) for voice and piano;<ref>[https://www.lieder.net/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=77653 Lieder.net]</ref> and, in December, the last of the ''Quatre Chansons pour voix grave'' (which became the first).

By August 1945 Honegger was back at the Paris Opéra, with ''L'Appel de la Montagne'', "a ballet that is both folkloric and fairytale-like, set in the pre-Romantic era and in the setting of the Bernese Alps"<ref>[https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k4119015j/f2.item.r=Honegger.zoom ''La France libre''']</ref> to a libretto by {{Interlanguage link|Robert Favre Le Bret|fr}}. The music used popular Swiss and Scottish themes. It featured [[Yvette Chauviré]] and {{Interlanguage link|Serge Peretti|fr}}, dancer and choreographer.<ref>[https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6821133q/f2.item.r=Honegger.zoom ''Rolet'']</ref> The press widely echoed it, and the critic of ''{{Interlanguage link|L'Époque (1937)|fr|lt= L'Epoque}}'', {{Interlanguage link|Maurice Brillant|fr}} wrote: "This is the first novelty given by the Opéra since the Liberation: it is worthy of the honour.".<ref>[https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6821133q/f2.item.r=Honegger.zoom ''L'Époque'']</ref> Honegger then produced a concert suite from it, ''Jour de Fête suisse''.

Honegger again returned to ballet music by composing two tableaux (I and IV) of the ballet ''Chota Roustaveli'' on [[Nikolai Evreinov]]'s libretto based on the poem by the great Georgian poet [[Shota Rustaveli]] (c. 1160 – after c. 1220), ''[[The Knight in the Panther's Skin]]'', with [[Alexander Tcherepnin]] (act II) and [[Tibor Harsányi]] (act III), with a rhythmic base provided by Serge Lifar (Monte-Carlo, May 1946).

He also composed some film music, for Raymond Bernard's ''[[A Friend Will Come Tonight|Un ami viendra ce soir]]'' (released in 1946): ''Souvenir de Chopin'' and ''Chant de la Délivrance'' are part of this score (although the latter had been composed earlier). His other film score was for [[Yves Allégret]]'s ''Les démons de l'aube'' (1946), written in collaboration with his friend [[Arthur Hoérée]].

1946 was marked by numerous trips in France and Europe, including during his holidays in Switzerland. In May, Claire Croiza died. In June, Honegger began his fourth symphony. In November he began giving classes at the [[École Normale de Musique de Paris]],<ref>Halbreich 1992, p. 228. Honegger never taught at the Conservatoire (even though he was on the board of exams of both the Conservatoire and the École normale de Musique). He also had some private students like [[Marius Constant]] (who at the same time took courses at the Conservatoire) or Conrad Beck (Halbreich 1992, p. 169). He also "gave some advice" to [[Marcel Delannoy]] (Halbreich 1992, p. 107) and [[Maurice Jaubert]].</ref> where his students included [[Yves Ramette]].

He composed several pieces of incidental music (''Prométhée'' for Aeschylus' [[Prometheus Bound]]; ''[[Hamlet]]'' for a performance of the play in [[André Gide]]'s new translation) and a score for [[Christian-Jaque]]'s [[A Lover's Return|Un revenant]]. He also wrote a score for four ondes Martenot for ''Sortilèges'', a ballet based on a storyline by [[Leyla Bedir Khan]], first performed in summer 1946 at the [[Théâtre des Champs-Élysées|Comédie des Champs-Elysées]], but it is unfortunately lost.

His most important work, though, was that on his [[Symphony No. 4 (Honegger)|Symphony No. 4]] subtitled "Deliciae Basilienses" ("The Delights of Basel"), dedicated to his friend Paul Sacher. It is "a kind of ''[[Pastoral Symphony]]'' that pays tribute both to the beautiful city of [[Basel]], bathed by the Rhine and where life is good, and to the friendship that bound the Swiss composer to the patron and conductor Paul Sacher".<ref>[https://www.radiofrance.fr/francemusique/podcasts/chefs-d-oeuvre-et-decouvertes/arthur-honegger-symphonie-no-4-delices-de-bale-deliciae-basiliensis-1946-5103926 France Musique]</ref> Completed in October, it was premiered by the dedicatee, in Basel, in January 1947. At the end of the second movement, the solo horn quotes [[Franz Abt]]'s setting of Basel-born [[Johann Peter Hebel]]'s poem "Z'Basel, a mim Rhi", and two minutes before the end of the third movement Honegger describes a carnival march: this is an evocation of [[Guggenmusik]], typical brass bands of [[German-speaking Switzerland]] using the piccolo and the [[Basel drum]], before a phrase full of nostalgia followed by a brief mocking farewell.

There was one more (short) piece written in December: ''Mimaamaquim'',<ref>"Mimaamaquim" is the Hebrew word for "Out of the depths": it is the opening phrase of [[Psalm 130]].</ref> for voice (originally for Madeleine Martinetti's deep contralto voice) and piano. It was orchestrated in June 1947. According to Halbreich, it is (at least the version with orchestra) "one of the peaks of his work" in which he finds "the typical intonations of synagogue chant".

During the first months of 1947, Honegger was bursting with activity as his works were given in concert all over Europe. In April 1947, he found the time to compose a competition piece, ''Intrada'', for trumpet and piano. In June he wrote some incidental music, ''Œdipe'', for Sophocles' ''[[Oedipus Rex]]'', which was premiered in December 1947.

Honegger was then invited by [[Serge Koussevitzky]] at the beginning of July to give summer courses at the [[Tanglewood Music Center]], following which he planned to go on tour throughout the US, then to Mexico and South America, where he was well-known thanks to [[Jane Bathori]], who had made ''Le roi David'' and ''Judith'' known. A fortnight after he arrived, however, he suffered a heart attack that left him bedridden. A month later he suffered a massive heart attack. The composer nevertheless managed to recover and he returned to Paris on 15 November. He did not return to work until spring 1948.

In the spring of 1948, Honegger wrote ''Prélude, Fugue, Postlude'', a suite after ''Amphion'', premiered in November by Ansermet, then left for his first water cure at [[Bagnoles-de-l'Orne]] where he worked a little. Next came the [[Concerto da camera (Honegger)|Concerto da camera]] for flute, English horn and strings, finished in October 1948 and premiered in 1949, an "exquisite masterpiece".<ref>Halbreich 1992, p. 238</ref> In October, he wrote incidental music (the score of which is lost) for Albert Camus's play ''[[The State of Siege]] '', directed by [[Jean-Louis Barrault]]. In November, in Genoa, he resumed his conducting career, which he was to give up a year later (except in 1951 when he conducted the Orchestre National De La [[Orchestre National de France|Radiodiffusion Française]] in ''Le Roi David'' in a recording studio, for [[Ducretet Thomson]]).

In June 1949, he completed a score for a final radio play in collaboration with Aguet, ''Saint-François d'Assise'', whose broadcast was announced by ''Le Monde'': "... this musico-literary radio work, specially noticed and recommended by the ''Premio Italia'' panel and premiered by Radio-Lausanne in June 1949, will be transmitted live from Lausanne by the national program this evening, Friday 2 December at 9 pm. Its performance will feature the [[Orchestre de la Suisse Romande]], conducted by Ernest Ansermet, the Montreux choir and the [[Radio Suisse Romande|Radio-théâtre de Lausanne]] troupe".<ref>[https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1949/12/02/le-saint-francois-d-assise-de-william-aguet-et-arthur-honegger_1932086_1819218.html ''Le Monde'', 2 December 1949];</ref> This is, for Halbreich, "the most important and the most beautiful" of his collaborations with Aguet.<ref>Halbreich 1992, p. 246</ref>

In 1949, he resumed his frenetic pace, leaving him time to compose only two new radio plays: ''Marche contre la mort'', by [[Antoine de Saint-Exupéry]], in tribute to [[Henri Guillaumet]], whose plane was shot down on 27 November 1940, and ''Tête d'or'', adapted from {{Interlanguage link|Tête d'or (pièce de théâtre)|fr|lt=Claudel's play}} which he completed in January 1950.

By 1950, his health had deteriorated again. Nevertheless, he wrote a score for a documentary film, ''Bourdelle'' (about the [[Antoine Bourdelle|sculptor]], obviously), by René Lucot; another score for the documentary ''Paul Claudel'', Paul Claudel's interview with [[Jean Amrouche]] filmed by André Gillet;<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q74jyFdWLU4 Youtube ]</ref> and above all a new symphony, and a suite.

The ''[[Symphony No. 5 (Honegger)|Symphonie n° 5]]'', written from August to December, premiered in 1951, is subtitled "Di tre re" (which refers to the three D notes at the end of each movement). It is marked by a stark and somber tone, reflecting the author's belief that the end of civilization was near: the work ends with a vision of nothingness.

On 18 December, "Jeanne d'Arc au Bûcher" finally entered the repertoire of the Paris Opera, under the direction of Louis Fourestier. The event was once again hailed by ''Le Monde'': "''Jeanne au bûcher'', in the stage version and in French, achieved in December 1950 one of the greatest, most spontaneous successes ever seen at this theatre".<ref>[https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1955/11/29/arthur-honegger_1947149_1819218.html ''Le Monde'']</ref>

In the first quarter of 1951, despite his increasingly failing health, Honegger still managed to compose an important orchestral piece, ''Monopartita'', followed, at the end of the year, by two very short pieces for ''La rédemption de [[François Villon]]'', a radio play by [[José Bruyr]]<ref>Henri Vachey and the Jeune Orchestre Symphonique de Douai have recorded Honegger's ''Musiques de films et de scène'' (''Un Revenant''; ''Tête d'or''; ''Regain''; ''La Rédemption de François Villon''; ''Napoléon'')</ref> as well as his ''Toccata sur un thème de Campra'', his contribution to ''[[La Guirlande de Campra]]'', as well as a film score for Georges Rony's documentary ''La tour de Babel'' (1951) with the collaboration of [[Tibor Harsányi]] and Arthur Hoérée.<ref>[https://archivesetmanuscrits.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cc1027664/ca59774565727182 BNF]</ref>

At the suggestion of [[Henri Büsser]], [[Florent Schmitt]] and [[Jean-Gabriel Domergue|J.-G. Domergue]], he was elected foreign associate member of the music section of the [[Académie des Beaux-Arts]] on 3 April 1952.<ref>[https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1952/04/04/arthur-honegger-a-l-institut_2010989_1819218.html ''Le Monde'']</ref>

In April 1952, he completed a final stage score for ''[[Oedipus Rex]]'', this time in [[Thierry Maulnier]]'s translation, premiered at the [[Comédie-Française]] in May.

At the end of 1952, despite his health problems, he began to reorganise work he had done for an aborted ''Passion de [[Selzach]]'' project. This became [[A Christmas Cantata (Honegger)|A Christmas Cantata]], premiered in Basel by his friend Sacher in December. The French premiere, on 10 January 1954, was celebrated in ''Le Monde'' by [[René Dumesnil]].<ref>[https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1954/01/20/une-cantate-de-noel-d-arthur-honegger_2036335_1819218.html ''Le Monde'']</ref>

After a long stay in Switzerland, he managed to return to Paris in June 1954, when "Jeanne d'Arc au Bûcher" was about to be revived at the Opéra, directed by Roberto Rossellini and starring Ingrid Bergman: this was the version {{Interlanguage link|Jeanne au bûcher (film)|fr|lt=filmed}} in 1956.

In December 1954, he was made a "Grand Officier de la Légion d'honneur".<ref>[https://www.leonore.archives-nationales.culture.gouv.fr/ui/notice/186735 Base Léonore]</ref>

Early 1955 saw the recording of ''Arthur Honegger vous parle et présente son œuvre'' (Honegger speaks to you and presents his work; see on YouTube, in French).

Arthur Honegger died in his studio, 71 [[boulevard de Clichy]], on 27 November 1955. His funeral took place on 2 December 1955 at the [[Oratoire du Louvre]], in the presence of a representative of French President [[René Coty]] and of [[Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of the Belgians|Elisabeth]], Queen of the Belgians. The eulogy was delivered by Pastor [[Fritz Münch]], director of the Strasbourg Conservatory and brother of friend Charles Münch, to the sound of the "lamento" from the ''Danse des morts'' and the "Alleluia' from ''Le Roi David''. During the cremation at [[Père Lachaise Cemetery]], several personalities made speeches, including Jean Cocteau. The urn passed between a hedge of [[Republican Guard (France)|Republican Guards]] presenting arms (although he remained a Swiss national and never took French citizenship{{sfn|Stephenson|2002|p=211}}), and was then taken to [[Saint-Vincent Cemetery]], in the Montmartre district, where it is now placed under a simple tombstone.<ref>[https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k8275057c/f12.item.r=Arthur%20Honegger.zoom# ''L'Est républicain'']; [https://disco-legacy-data.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/public/upload/6/6/66589.pdf  ''Feuille d'Avis de Lausanne'']</ref>

The Paris Opéra paid tribute to him on 18 December 1955 with the ''Symphonie n°3'' conducted by [[Louis Fourestier]], followed by ''Jeanne au Bûcher'', with [[Claude Nollier]], creator of the role.<ref>[https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1955/12/19/l-hommage-de-l-opera-a-arthur-honegger_1943992_1819218.html ''Le Monde'', 19 December 1955]</ref> In November 1956, his friends [[Georges Tzipine]], [[Fernand Oubradous]] and [[Arthur Hoérée]] organized a series of concerts<ref>[https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1956/11/27/in-memoriam-arthur-honegger-concerts-oubradous-orchestre-de-chambre-de-la-r-t-f-arthur-hoeree-darius-milhaud_3113580_1819218.html ''Le Monde'']</ref> featuring works by Honegger, and the ''Quintet No. 4 for 2 violins, viola and 2 cellos'', Op. 350, composed by his friend Darius Milhaud and dedicated to Honegger. In 1962, Poulenc, too, dedicated "à la mémoire de Arthur Honegger" one of the last pieces he completed, his ''[[Clarinet Sonata (Poulenc)|Clarinet Sonata]]''.

Many of Honegger's works were championed by his longtime friend [[Georges Tzipine]], who conducted the premiere recordings of some of them (''Cris du Monde'', ''Nicolas de Flüe'').<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.resmusica.com/imprimer.php3?art=1569|url-status=dead|title=Georges Tzipine interprète Honegger|author=Michel Tibbaut|date=15 July 2005|language=fr|website=resmusica.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211141751/http://www.resmusica.com/imprimer.php3?art=1569 |archive-date=11 February 2009}}</ref>

Honegger's [[Arthur Honegger discography|discography]] is very extensive.