Arthur Honegger
A Swiss-born composer who captured the roar of the machine age in 'Pacific 231' while plumbing profound spiritual depths in his dramatic oratorios.
1892–1955 (age 63)·Swiss composer·Birthday: March 10·The Lost Generation
Biography
Arthur Honegger occupied a unique space in 20th-century music, a modernist with a romantic heart. Though associated with the Parisian avant-garde group Les Six, he followed his own stubbornly independent path. He found inspiration not just in abstract forms, but in the physical world—most famously in the churning momentum of a steam locomotive, which he immortalized in the orchestral tour de force 'Pacific 231.' Yet his true ambition lay in large-scale vocal works. Pieces like 'Le Roi David' and 'Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher' blended archaic modal harmonies with stark, dramatic power, revealing a composer deeply engaged with biblical and historical narrative. Living between Switzerland and France, his music often carried a sense of solemn grandeur and searching spirituality, making him a bridge between the orchestral might of the past and the fractured soundscape of his own century.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Arthur was born in 1892, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arthur Was Born
The biggest hits of 1892
Arthur's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1892Born
President: Benjamin Harrison
1897Started school
President: William McKinley
1905Became a teenager
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1908Could drive
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1910Could vote
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1913Turned 21
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1922Turned 30
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1932Turned 40
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1942Turned 50
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1952Turned 60
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1955Died at 63
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
Key Achievements
- Composed 'Pacific 231' (1923), a seminal piece of mechanistic music that mimics the sound and motion of a steam locomotive.
- Created the dramatic oratorio 'Le Roi David' (1921), which remains one of his most frequently performed works.
- Wrote the oratorio 'Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher' (1938), a collaboration with poet Paul Claudel, considered one of his masterpieces.
- Was a member of the influential French composer collective known as Les Six, though his style was often more weighty than his peers.
Did You Know?
Despite the fame of 'Pacific 231,' Honegger insisted he was more interested in expressing the visual impression and physical sensation of acceleration than merely imitating train sounds.
He was an avid sports fan and wrote a piece called 'Rugby' as a companion to 'Pacific 231.'
Honegger composed scores for several notable films, including Abel Gance's epic silent film 'Napoléon.'
He maintained Swiss citizenship throughout his life, despite living and working primarily in Paris.
“The first requirement for a composer is to be dead.”
