One of "Les Six"

It is sometimes hard to work out why some composers and some works retain a much higher profile than others. While not unknown, Arthur Honegger is not exactly a staple name in the contemporary concert hall. This cd is of his 2nd and 3rd Symphonies, played by the Berliner Philharmoniker under Herbert von Karajan. Honegger was in occupied Paris during WW2 and the timing effects the content of these two symphonies. The 2nd was written during the war and is lightly scored for string orchestra and solo trumpet. It has a suitably melancholic feel and the unusual foces required to perform it perhaps explain why it is seldom heard in concert. The third however ( written just after the war ) is a powerful piece written for a very large orchestra and would not be at all out of place being programmed instead of Shostakovich once in a while. There are some superficial similarities with the sound world. Karajan isn't one of the most fashionable conductors these days, having suffered a backlash since his death, but he is even now considered to be an excellent advocate for Honegger's music. As a makeweight, the cd finishes with the brief Concerto for String Orchestra by Stravinsky in his neo classical mode. This makes a good fit with the Honegger works.