Honegger conducts Le Roi David (1951)

 

A truly historic document, as always when an important composer - whatever his strengths and limitations as a conductor - presents his own music from the podium. However, we are talking about a good overall result: also noteworthy is the presence of another composer, Maurice Duruflé - best known for his Requiem - who sits at the organ.

The role of narrator is entrusted to the actor Jean Hervé, who in his youth played for the French national rugby team, also winning the gold medal at the 1900 Paris Olympics; very curious because, as you know, Honegger was the author of an orchestral piece entitled "Rugby" (the Symphonic Movement n. 2).

HONEGGER

Le Roi David, psaume symphonique en 3 parties 

d'après le drame de René Morax, H 37B (1921)

Janine Micheau, soprano

Jeannine Collard, mezzo-soprano

Pierre Mollet, baritone

Jean Hervé, speaker

Maurice Duruflé, organ

Chorale Elisabeth Brasseur

Orchestre National de la Radiodiffusion Française

ARTHUR HONEGGER, conductor

Studio recording - Paris (Eglise Saint-Roch), october 1951

[2 LP Ducretet Thomson LPG 8342/3] 

FLAC