Arthur HONEGGER (1892-1955)

Lot 17
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Estimation :
800 - 1000 EUR
Arthur HONEGGER (1892-1955)
Autograph manuscript signed, La classe de d'Indy au Conservatoire, [late 1931]; 2 pages in-4 (some slight tears and cracks at the folds). Homage to his master Vincent d'Indy (deceased December 2, 1931), intended for the special issue of La Revue Musicale (January 1932). Honegger pays tribute to his master, not as the founder of the Schola Cantorum "of which he was the soul", but as a professor at the Conservatoire of which he was a student in his "conductor" class. He was an auditor in the composition class of Ch. M. Widor, when he was admitted to the class of d'Indy, where after having taught them the technique of the baton, he had them conduct "in turn fragments of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven". But above all, the Master agreed to give his opinion on their compositional attempts "with great kindness, but behind which one could feel a strong opinion [...] Thus his class became a sort of complement to the composition class, which was extremely interesting and profitable for the students of Masters with ideas opposed to those of d'Indy". He suggested that they write pieces for orchestra and then conduct them: "In this way you will be able to hear yourselves and have them performed according to your conception. [...] Thanks to d'Indy's initiative [...] I can say that in these two years I have learned more about orchestration than by reading all the treatises". He even obtained from Gabriel Fauré that his students conduct their pieces themselves "at the orchestra's 'student exercises', which gave us our first contact with the public [...] Vincent d'Indy paid full attention to the most diverse tendencies, he never tried to impose an aesthetic where he felt a conscience and a will"...
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