Arthur Honegger was among the most prolific composers from the classical tradition in his production of film scores, with about 40 under his belt. The excerpts from four films from the 1930s presented here demonstrate the varying levels of inspiration he brought to his soundtracks. At his best, as in the two symphonic fragments from Le Démon de l'Himalaya (1935), his writing is adventurous, employing innovative techniques and unusual orchestrations. The music is dramatically apt and graphically evocative; it's easy to imagine it accompanying the scenes of the film about a mountain-climbing excursion in the Himalayas. Honegger's vivid use of the Ondes Martenot adds a level of mystery and a suggestion of the supernatural to the score, and the use of a wordless chorus at the climax pushes it over the top. The music is shamelessly melodramatic, but in film music that's not necessarily a bad thing, and this score is completely engaging. For L'Idée (1934), which is recorded here in its entirety, Honegger gives the Ondes Martenot an even more prominent role -- it's almost like a concerto at some points -- and he writes for it with real understanding of its capabilities and strengths. Here, he also shows a gift for the light and graceful use of popular dances of the era, so the music is nicely varied. The score for Regain (1937) is entirely competent, but is merely workmanlike and lacks much distinction.
Adriano conducts the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and the
Slovak Philharmonic Choir in energetic and atmospheric performances. The CD should be of interest to Honegger fans and film soundtrack aficionados.