Arthur Honegger – Pacific 231

In the words of Arthur Honegger himself, from an interview published in the Swiss journal Dissonance:

I have always had a passionate love for locomotives; to me, they are living beings, and I love them as others love women or horses.

What I sought in Pacific was not an imitation of the locomotive’s sounds, but rather the translation—through musical construction—of a visual impression and a physical sensation. It begins with objective contemplation: the tranquil breathing of the machine at rest, the exertion of starting up, followed by the gradual acceleration of speed, culminating in a lyrical state—the pathos of a 300-ton train hurtling through the dead of night at 120 kilometers per hour.

As my “subject,” I chose the “Pacific” type locomotive—designated 231—designed for heavy, high-speed trains.