The Bournemouth Municipal Augmented Orchestra
Conducted by Victor Hely-Hutchinson and Sir Dan Godfrey
Arthur Honneger, born in France in 1892, of Swiss parentage, is counted as belonging to the modern French school, of which, he is one of the most interesting and original figures. In spite of dissonances which are apt to strike the older listener as harsh and, at times, needlessly painful, Honegger's music is really based on the old classical forms, and verges occasionally on scholastic pedantry. It is full of life and colour, and has a robust' strength of its own which contrasts strongly with the somewhat light and airy fabric of modern French music.
Speaking of this Concertino, and of Honegger's symphonic movement, 'Rugby,' a French critic has said that even more than Pacific 231, they are both stages in the 'march of the composer towards a former sobriety, and particularly towards an exclusive return to the classic tonality. While some would merely lend their works an appearance of simplicity, Honegger knows, by slow but certain steps, how to achieve that.'
(At the Piano, Gordon Bryan and Victor Hely-Hutchinson)
