Le Roi David (Honegger)

"Le Roi David" was composed in Mézières, Switzerland in 1921 by Arthur Honegger and is classified as an oratorio or more specifically as a dramatic psalm. The libretto was written by Rene Morax, and tells the biblical story of King David’s life from the time he was a shepherd, to his conquests in battle, his rise to power, his lust for another man’s wife, his agony over his son’s death, his disobedience to God, and finally to his own death. [ [http://www.mcchorus.org/prognt04.htm/ Arthur Honegger's King David Francis Poulenc's Gloria ] ] The work is separated into twenty-eight sections or movements and depends heavily on thematic elements.

Arthur Honegger was commissioned to write incidental music to accompany Rene Morax’s play "Le Roi David" in 1921. Honegger was given the nearly impossible deadline of 2 months to complete the work and was rewarded with much acclaim at the premier. In 1923 he combined Morax’s narrative with his music and created a "symphonic psalm," the form that is familiar today, and titled his work "Le Roi David". [http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/works/honegger/roidavid.html Classical Net Article - Honegger - Le Roi David ] ]

Instrumentation

The instrumentation is quite sparse, just a sixteen member orchestra to accompany a chorus that usually sings antiphonally or in unison, and a narrator. The music is separated into brief sections and features many individual instruments.

Movements

# The Song of David, the Shepherd
# Psalm: All Praise to Him
# Song of Victory
# March
# Psalm: In the Lord I put my faith
# O had I wings like a dove
# Song of the Prophets
# Psalm: God, the Lord shall be my light
# Lament of Gilboa
# Song of the Daughters of Israel
# The Dance before the Ark
# Song, Now my voice in song upsoaring
# Song of the Handmaid
# Psalm of Penitence
# Psalm; Behold, in evil I was born
# Psalm: O shall I raise mine eyes unto the mountains?
# The Song of Ephraim
# Psalm: In my distress

Plot

Le Roi David is divided into three main parts and tells the biblical story of King David. In the first part, the Lord directs the prophet Samuel to choose Saul as the ruler of the people of Israel. However, when Saul does not follow the Lord’s instructions, Samuel is told to place David as ruler. The first part continues to tell the story of David’s battles against the Philistines as well as Saul’s growing jealousy of David. The second part covers David’s crowning and unification of Israel. The third and final part tells of David’s lust for Bathsheba and his punishment for adultery. In this final section of the piece, David flees Jerusalem, loses his power, manages to restore his position as king then offends God by censuring the people. An epidemic disease afflicts Jerusalem, and David appoints his son Solomon to succeed him and then dies. At the end of the piece an angel tells of Isaiah’s prophesy of a flower blooming from David’s stem. [ [http://www.mcchorus.org/prognt04.htm Arthur Honegger's King David Francis Poulenc's Gloria ] ]

Analysis of text and music

The most significant element of Le Roi David is the combination of different styles of music in one complete work. Honegger uses compositional techniques ranging from Gregorian chant to Baroque to jazz. Honegger’s utilization of all of these concepts allowed him to make a serious contribution to the neoclassical era. The music is littered with thematic gestures and is most often performed in French. [A History of Western Music, Burkholder]

References