Pacific 231 / Rugby / Symphony 2

Honegger (Artist), Zinman (Artist), Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 20, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B00000JNPL
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #462,246 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Rugby (Mouvement symphonique No.2)

2. Symphony No.2: Molto Moderato - Allegro

3. Symphony No.2: Adagio Mesto

4. Symphony No.2: Vivace non troppo - Presto

5. Mouvement Symphonique No.3

6. Monopartita

7. Pastorale D'Ete

8. Pacific 231 (Mouvement symphonique No.1)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The best word to describe the music of Arthur Honegger would have to be gnarly. His style is restlessly contrapuntal and charged with dissonance, but this isn't a bad thing at all. In fact, his sharply etched instrumental lines and acerbic harmonies add a welcome touch of spice to a somewhat severe idiom, much as a pinch of hot pepper perks up an otherwise bland sauce. They give his fast music the power of a juggernaut, and fill his slower, quieter moments with ear-catching detail. What's needed in performance, and what David Zinman and his Swiss orchestra deliver in abundance, is rhythmic accuracy and clarity. In fact, there hasn't been such a fine Honegger disc since Herbert von Karajan's legendary recordings of the Second and Third Symphonies (currently on DG "Originals"). In the strings-only Second Symphony, the Zurich band hasn't the weight of Karajan's Berliners, but they are just as impassioned and incisive in attack. The other works--including all three Movements symphoniques ("Pacific 231," "Rugby," and No. 3, which has no nickname)--receive what are clearly their finest recorded performances. Pastorale d'été is as charming as ever, and there's a special bonus in the form of the rarely heard Monopartita, whose unfortunate name sounds like a disease but that is actually a vibrant suite of dances gathered in a single movement. Brilliant sonics, too. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Scrunchily sympathetic, sonically spacious, August 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Pacific 231 / Rugby / Symphony 2 (Audio CD)

The Zurich Tonhalle has hardly been in general LP or CD circulation, so it's good to see them appearing on a major label. They have always been my favourite Swiss orchestra, and this disc confirms that they are currently in very good shape. The tone of the orchestra is just right for Honegger's scrunchy music, and Zinman conducts sympathetically. The performance of the 3rd Mouvement Symphonique is the best I have heard. The 2nd Symphony also comes over well, with some very fine playing by the Tonhalle strings. Karajan's Berlin version remains my favourite here, but Zinman provides a valid alternative. Perhaps Pacific 231 (rather oversold on the CD's cover, incidentally) is the weakest performance here, but this piece has been given somewhat wider coverage over the years. The sound quality in the difficult Tonhalle acoustic is very good, with clarity mixed in well with the hall's spaciousness. Unlike the Karajan, the trumpet is actually audible at the end of the symphony, without being overbearing. In my view, this is not a world-beating collection, but it is a fine introduction for anyone unfamiliar with the music and contains one piece (Monopartita) not otherwise recorded. For me, this is in the higher level of the 4-star rating.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Brilliant, October 21, 2004

By 

Mr. Allan K. Steel (Sydney, AUS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pacific 231 / Rugby / Symphony 2 (Audio CD)

I have about 7 recordings of Sym 2 and this is probably the
best. Solo cello comes out very strongly at end of 2nd movement.

Other works are all great too: excellent performances and recording.

Great 20th C works which are often dark and dissonant.

Strongly recommended for anyone wanting to try out Honegger.

The Karajan recording which everyone raves about (mentioned in amazon review above) is OK, but this one is heaps better.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great works by a great French composer!, December 26, 2000

By 

Lee Hartsfeld (Central Ohio, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pacific 231 / Rugby / Symphony 2 (Audio CD)

Arthur Honegger's remarkable works sound much more modern than most "modern" Classical music. His "Movements Symphoniques" are superior to anything Darius Milhaud achieved in a lighter vein, and his use of dissonance and 12-tone tonality are pure Bartok. Honegger seems to have shared Bartok's concept of a democratic half-step scale. How else to explain his remarkable, streamlined harmonic texture, which effortlessly veers between harsh note-clusters and smooth, consonant passages?

The performances and sound on this superb CD are beyond criticism, save for a "Pacific 231" that runs out of steam (pun intended) toward the end, and which features a muddy mix totally removed from that of the other tracks. Five stars. Don't deprive your collection of this wonderful recording!