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Arthur HONEGGER Sinfonie Nr Arthur HONEGGER Sinfonie Nr. 3 »Liturgique« Sinfonie Nr. 2 Rugby | Pacific 231 Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR Stéphane Denève 93343_DeneveHoneggerBooklet_end.indd 1 23.07.15 12:32 02 ARTHUR HONEGGER (1892–1955) Sinfonie Nr. 3 | Symphony No. 3 Sinfonie Nr. 2 | Symphony No. 2 “Liturgique” [30:59] für Streichorchester und Trompete * [25:41] 1 Dies irae. Allegro marcato [07:00] 4 Molto moderato – Allegro [11:32] 2 De profundis clamavi. Adagio [13:19] 5 Adagio mesto [08:47] 3 Dona nobis pacem. Andante [10:40] 6 Vivace, non troppo [05:22] 7 Rugby * Thomas Hannes, Trompete (Mouvement symphonique Nr. 2) [07:29] 8 Pacific 231 (Mouvement symphonique Nr. 1) [06:10] TOTAL TIME [70:19] Die Kunst der Einfachheit „Zwei menschliche Wesen sind wie Kugeln. Sie Folglich war auch die vielbeschworene Groupe des können sich nur an einem Punkt berühren. Und Six nichts als ein Wimpernschlag in der Geschichte während dieser Kontakt besteht, sind alle anderen der Musik vergönnt. Ein paar gemeinsame Konzer- Punkte inaktiv. Sie müssen auch an die Reihe kom- te, das namengebende Klaviermusikalbum mit men, und je länger die eine Verbindung dauert, einem Prélude von George Auric, einer Romance desto größer wird der Drang der nicht verbunde- sans Paroles von Louis Durey, einer Sarabande von nen Stellen.“ Mit diesen Worten hat Ralph Waldo Arthur Honegger, einer Mazurka von Darius Mil- Emerson in seiner Experience (Erfahrung) alles haud, einem Walzer von Francis Poulenc und einer gesagt, was wir wissen müssen, um die Unmög- Pastorale von Germaine Tailleferre – da war’s auch lichkeit künstlerischer Kollektive zu begreifen. Im- schon getan. Letztlich existierte die Gruppe nur, mer vorausgesetzt, dass echte Persönlichkeiten weil ihre „Mitglieder“ sich im Vorübergehen mit aufeinandertreffen und dass diese nicht die Kunst den schrulligen Zielen des verehrten Erik Satie und der Verwandlung beherrschen, die Hermann Hes- mit den radikal antiromantischen Thesen ihres ses Piktor im Paradies erlernte, wird ein eigentli- frechen Vordenkers Jean Cocteau einverstanden ches kreatives Bündnis immer ephemer bleiben. erklärt hatten. Als man 1921 indes daranging, die Entweder nämlich überragt einer die andern, wie Ballettkomposition Les Mariées de la Tour Eiffel zu etwa Richard Strauss den gesamten Münchner realisieren, war Louis Durey, der Älteste der Sechs, Kreis, um mehrere Längen, oder aber es geht bald schon ausgestiegen, und die Anteile der fünf an- wieder jeder seiner eigenen Wege, nachdem ein deren sprechen Bände: Milhaud lieferte drei der paar, zumeist belanglose Gemeinschaftsarbeiten zehn Sätze, Auric, Poulenc und Madame Tailleferre der Welt das redliche Scheitern vor Augen und jeweils zwei, und Arthur Honegger mischte sich Ohren geführt haben. mit einer Marche funèbre in das putzige Gesche- hen, zu dem Jean Cocteau das Libretto und Marc Chagall die Dekoration geschaffen hatten. ORCHESTRA 93343_DeneveHoneggerBooklet_end.indd 2 23.07.15 12:32 03 So erschöpften sich die kreativen Gemeinsamkei- und trotz aller bedeutenden Erfolge an der Unver- ten. Die individuellen Kräfte hätten es gar nicht änderlichkeit des Publikumsgeschmacks schier ertragen, eines Manifestes wegen – und sei’s im verzweifelte: Das hat ihm vielfach den Ruf eines Moment der Formulierung auch noch so verlo- besonders widersprüchlichen Mannes eingetra- Deutsch ckend gewesen – ihre wahren Naturen zu verleug- gen – weil wieder einmal die Betrachter sich in nen. Sicher war es hübsch, die eine oder andere letzter Konsequenz nicht eingestehen wollten, „Musique d’ameublement“ zu schreiben, die man, daß hinter allen Widersprüchlichkeiten eine Per- wie es Cocteau ausdrückte, nicht mit dem Kopf in sönlichkeit von ordentlichem Kaliber wirkte. der Hand hören musste. Haydn und Rameau als Ideale der Sonate beziehungsweise der Suite, die Er wurde anscheinend weit weniger von vorüber- Verbannung des romantischen Geistes zugunsten fliegenden Motiven oder äußerlich reizvollen Ver- einer wieder hergestellten Balance von Gefühl suchsanordnungen inspiriert als vielmehr von den und Vernunft sowie der Verzicht auf die chromati- tief unter den Oberflächen waltenden Prinzipien. schen Ausdrucksmittel der Romantik zugunsten Vordergründig mochte sich das in „sinfonischen rein diatonischer Harmonik: Derlei unterzeichnet Bewegungen“ niederschlagen, jenen drei wörtlich man schnell – wie eine Petition in der Fußgänger- aufgefassten „mouvements symphoniques“, die zone – gegen Missstände und Wildwuchs, ohne Honegger zwischen 1923 und 1933 realisierte. aber das Leben, und schon gar nicht das künstleri- Natürlich sind auch wir hingerissen, wenn sich das sche Dasein, fortan darauf zu fixieren. Tempo der Pacific 231 kontinuierlich bis zu dem Punkt steigert, wo nach den Worten des Kompo- Arthur Honegger, der schweizerische Kaufmanns- nisten „ein Zug von 300 Tonnen durch die Nacht sohn aus Le Havre, war also nicht Ausnahme, son- donnert“. Der Augenblick aber, in dem die Pazifik 2 · Rugby · Pacific 231 · Pacific 2 · Rugby dern nur eine Ausprägung der schöpferischen Po- – übrigens die Bezeichnung für alle Schnellzugloks tenzen, die sich da um 1920 für einen Augenblick mit der Achsfolge 2 C 1 vom Flying Scotsman bis punktuell berührt hatten. Weder war er der einzi- zur deutschen Baureihe 01 und der russischen Elka 3 & Nr. ge, der sich von der Wucht der Maschine fesseln – von ihren gleichmäßigen, ruhigen Atemzügen in ließ, noch ging er dem Jazz oder dem Chanson aus den ersten Vorwärtsimpuls übergeht: dieses „es dem Wege (man höre nur das Concertino für Kla- werde“ hat kosmische Dimensionen, weil es den vier oder das Cellokonzert), und auch die Einfach- Moment zwischen Idee und Tat markiert. heit der Diktion verschmähte er keineswegs, wenn sie im Dienste der Laienbeteiligung stand wie in In einem seiner Gespräche mit Bernard Gavoty Nr. Sinfonien dem beispielhaften Erfolg des Königs David, des- („Was ich von mir denke“) hat Arthur Honegger | sen erste Fassung als „Dramatischer Psalm“ in später die „Lokomotivation“ dieses Satzes bestrit- demselben Jahr entstand wie das angesprochene ten und behauptet, er habe, musikalisch „einen Gemeinschaftsballett um die „Vermählten des großen figurierten Choral komponiert, der sich in Eiffelturms“. Dass er aber zugleich ein regelmäßi- der Form an Johann Sebastian Bach anlehnt“. Da- ger Gast der Bayreuther Festspiele war („fi donc!“), bei verschwieg er vorsorglich seinen Beitrag zu sich zeitlebens als Beethovenianer verstand, ein- dem vielstündigen Experimentalfilm La Roule von deutig aus Johann Sebastian Bachs Werken Ge- Abel Vance, dessen Schienennetz- und Führer- winn zog, während er sich andererseits über den standsequenzen er mit „pazifischem“ Stampfen „holden Wahn“ seines Berufes Illusionen hingab unterlegte. ARTHUR HONEGGER 93343_DeneveHoneggerBooklet_end.indd 3 23.07.15 12:32 04 Der zweite „sinfonische Satz“ aus dem Jahre 1928 habe Honegger (treffend) darauf hinweisen wol- ist wieder eine Studie in „mouvements“, die hier len, dass die mißliebigen Erscheinungen in feld- aber die Zwangsläufigkeit des Gleissystems und grau, braun und schwarz, die sich weiland auf dem Deutsch der Pleuelstangen vermissen lassen. Gewiss wird Grunde der Grande Nation tummelten, eine vor­ Rugby nach bestimmten Regeln gespielt, doch der übergehende Plage waren – während der Geist der Trubel unter den 2 x 15 Wettkämpfern, die Tack- sinfonischen Entwicklung, der motivischen Expan- lings, das Gedränge, die Verfolgungsjagden kreuz sion, der Geist der Passacaglia und des zuversicht- und quer über das Grün, die weiten Abschläge und lichen Chorals auch die finstersten Phasen sieg- Torschüsse lassen sich nie am Reißbrett voraussa- reich hinter sich bringt. gen, weshalb ja auch die musikalische Hommage an das wilde Gerangel um den Kürbis, kaum, dass Die Kunst der Einfachheit in scheinbar komplizier- der hörbare Abstoß erfolgt ist, in kapriolenden testen Zusammenhängen, der Sinn für das Ele- Triolen dahinsaust. Wir hören den Anprall, die Zu- mentare in zerklüfteten oder gar verwüsteten sammenrottungen und Ballungen, Tutti- und Solo- Landschaften prägt auch die 1946 entstandene Läufe, Halbzeitgemurmel – und müssten von all Symphonie liturgique, die wiederum per aspera ad dem, wie bei jeder wirklich guten „Programm- astra strebt. Dieses Mal aber führt der Weg über Musik“, doch nicht das mindeste wissen, um das die Hoffnung hinaus in ein paradisum, von dem brillante Orchesterwerk zu erfassen. wir schwerlich werden sagen können, ob es das vielbeschworene Jenseits der Glückseligkeit dar- Nach dem „figurierten Choral“ gebärdet sich Rug­ stellt oder nicht vielmehr die geläuterte Natur by offensichtlich wie eine Gigue, die wieder eine nach der finalen Katastrophe, die sich – vom Tag der auffallendsten Fähigkeiten ihres Komponisten des göttlichen Zornes und der flehentlichen Bitte verrät: Arthur Honegger versteht es, selbst den „aus der Tiefe“ herkommend – mit einem unabläs- komplexesten, dissonantesten und angriffslustigs- sigen Marsch ankündigt und sich endlich in immer ten Kontext durch die Einbettung einfacher, klarer dichteren, polyrhythmischen Schichten vollzieht. Gestalten oder Elemente derart aufzulichten, dass Dann ist plötzlich das Dröhnen der Kolonnen vor- sich das Publikum nie verlassen fühlen wird. Erläu- bei. Die Vernichtungsmaschinerie ist unter die ternde Überschriften mögen von Nutzen sein: Eine eigenen Räder und Ketten geraten. Mit dem Kopf conditio sine qua non sind sie nicht, wie gerade die in der Hand hören wir endzeitlichen Vogelgesang. zweite Sinfonie für Streichorchester und Trompete Und niemand ist da, der
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