Pacific 231
Pacific 231 is a symphonic movement (mouvement symphonique no. 1) by Arthur Honegger in which the train journey with a Pacific steam locomotive is musically implemented in the form of a tone poem . The work, dedicated to Ernest Ansermet , was written in 1923 and premiered on May 8, 1924 at the Paris Opera . The playing time is about six minutes.
Emergence
From the beginning to the middle of the 20th century, steam locomotives of the Pacific type were the fastest and most modern locomotives in Europe and the USA. They also carried the large European express trains such as the Orient Express , the Train Bleu or the Rheingold . Strictly speaking, the title “Pacific 231” is a tautology , because both the old American name “Pacific” and the French number sequence “231” are steam locomotives with a 2'C1 ' wheel arrangement . H. Designate steam locomotives with a leading two-axle bogie, three coupling axles and a laterally movable trailing axle.
Honegger, who by his own admission had a “passionate love for locomotives”, intended to use musical means to describe the journey of a heavy express train with a Pacific steam locomotive in his work . Honegger did not want to imitate the noises of the locomotive, but rather to express a " visual impression and physical well-being".
Honegger understood the work not only in the programmatic sense , but as absolute music , namely as an abstract idea of mathematically accelerating rhythm . He realized this with a strict shortening when starting the locomotive, with an extension of note values when braking , without accelerating or slowing down the speed .
music
Orchestral line-up
1 piccolo , 2 flutes , 2 oboe , 1 English horn , 2 clarinets , 1 bass clarinet , 2 Fagotte , 1 Kontrafagott , 4 horns , 3 trumpets , 3 trombones , 1 tuba ; Percussion : tenor drum (caisse roulante) , military drum , pool , bass drum , tom-tom ; Strings : violins , violas , cellos , double basses .
Honegger also wrote an arrangement for piano four hands.
Structure of the plant
The work consists of five parts in which the various movements are musically implemented:
- 1. Standstill
- 2. Starting the locomotive
- 3. Increasing speed
- 4. Travel at top speed
- 5. Braking and stopping
Adaptations
- The short film Pacific 231 by Jean Mitry , made in 1949, is an atmospheric picture of the locomotive's journey using the music of Arthur Honegger.
- The Swiss 20-franc note has a portrait of Arthur Honegger on the front and a theme from Pacific 231 on the back .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Analysis of the work in French ( memento of the original from March 24, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. .
- ↑ a b Description in English ( Memento of the original from June 1, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra website
- ↑ a b Booklet for the CD by Jürg Hanselmann: The Railway in Piano Music , Prezioso CD 800.062
- ↑ Recorded by Sandra and Jürg Hanselmann in: The Railway in Piano Music . 2005, Prezioso CD 800.062
- ↑ Entry in the IMDb and film on YouTube
- ↑ Description of the banknote by the Swiss National Bank ( Memento of the original from January 27, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. .
