Arthur Honegger, Intrada for Trumpet and Piano

(1892-1955)

Oscar-Arthur Honegger, whom we know as Arthur Honegger, was born in Le Havre, France. Though he was a Swiss composer and his parents immigrated to a Swiss colony in Le Havre, Arthur Honegger lived a large potion of his life in Paris. Part of this was due to World War II. Honegger joined the French Resistance, but his life was generally unaffected by the Nazis. He studied at the Paris Conservatory, and following his graduation in 1918, he and some of his classmates became known as Les Six. Though many of his French contemporaries reacted against the German Romanticism, Honegger’s weightier and more solemn style is evidence of German influence. Honegger saw himself as a successor of Beethoven and Brahms and looked down upon musique d’ameublement (furniture music), a term coined by his French colleague, Erik Satie. Despite their differences, his Les Six colleagues greatly respected him. Darius Milhaud dedicated his fourth string quintet and Francis Poulenc dedicated his Clarinet Sonata to Honegger.

Honegger wrote Intrada for Trumpet and Piano for the Paris Conservatory’s 1947 Concours. These were end-of-the-term exams that tested a student’s sight-reading ability and musical proficiency. Intrada was also a test piece for trumpet players at the 1947 Geneva International Competition. An “Intrada” was originally music composed for an entrance at a festival occasion. Though Honegger’s Intrada was not originally written as an addition to the trumpet repertoire, it has grown to be performed by many trumpet players worldwide. Honegger had a formal architectural approach to his music which is apparent through his use of ternary form in this piece. Intrada begins with an opening section marked Maestoso (Majestic). For the beginning, this section puts the trumpet player through her paces with its angular opening theme, melodic amplitude, brilliant calls, and upper register writing. Through the melodic phrases the listeners can hear Bach’s influence on Honegger. This gradually accelerates into an Allegro, dance-like section. Here Honegger uses his stylistic driving rhythms. Honegger rounds off Intrada with a reprise of the noble opening material and a stately close. This piece is a wonderful example of his use of Impressionistic sonorities, reminiscent of orchestral texture.