Le Roi David


Le Roi David was composed in Mézières, Switzerland, in 1921 by Arthur Honegger, as incidental music for a play in French by René Morax. It was called dramatic psalm, but has also been performed as oratorio, without staging. The plot, based on biblical narration, tells the story of King David, first a shepherd boy, his victories in battle, relationship to Saul, rise to power, adultery, mourning of his son's death, and finally his own death. The work has 27 musical movements, some instrumental, most for voices and orchestra. A narrator connects the scenes, soloists take different roles.
Arthur Honegger was commissioned to write incidental music to accompany René 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 premiere. 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.

Instrumentation

Original 1921 version: Honegger originally wrote his Le Roi David music for the forces that were available at Morax's Mézières village theatre group, creating a score for the resources available; a small ensemble of 16 musicians comprising: 2 flutes , 1 oboe , 2 clarinets , 1 bassoon , 1 horn, 2 trumpets, 1 trombone, timpani, 1 percussionist, piano, harmonium, celesta and 1 double bass. It was premiered there on 11 June 1921.
In 1923, bolstered by the success of the original version, Honegger re-scored the work for a standard orchestra of 2 flutes , 2 oboes , 2 clarinets , 2 bassoons , 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, tambourine, tam-tam, organ, celesta, harp, and strings) accompanying a chorus, soprano, alto, tenor, and boy soprano soloists, a narrator and an actress for nº 12 – Incantation Scene. The music is separated into 27 mostly brief sections and features many individual instruments.

Structure

The work is structured in three parts, the movements numbered to 27 in the 1952 edition.
No.TitleTranslationText sourceVoices
1Introduction
2Cantique du berger DavidThe Song of David, the ShepherdA
3Psaume: Loué soit le SeigneurPsalm: All Praise to HimPsalmSATB
4Chant de victoireSong of VictorySATB
5CortègeMarch
6Psaume: Ne crains rienPsalm: In the Lord I Put my FaithPsalmT
7Psaume: Ah! si j'avais des ailes de colombePsalm: O Had I Wings Like a DovePsalmS
8Psaume - Cantique des ProphètesSong of the Prophetsmen's chorus
9Psaume: Pitié de moi, mon DieuPsalm: Have Mercy on Me, my LordPsalmT
10Le Camp de SaülSaul's Camp
11Psaume: L'éternel est ma lumière infiniePsalm: God, the Lord Shall Be my LightSATB
12IncantationIncantationA
13Marche des PhilistinsMarch of the Philistines
14Lamentations de GuilboaThe Lamentations of GilboaWomen's chorus

No.TitleTranslationText sourceVoices
15Cantique de fêteFestival Songwomen's chorus
16La Danse devant l'archeThe Dance before the ArkSATB

No.TitleTranslationText sourceVoices
17Cantique: De mon cœur jaillit un cantiqueSong: Now my Voice in Song UpsoaringSATB
18Chant de la servanteSong of the HandmaidA
19Psaume de pénitencePsalm of PenitenceSATB
20Psaume: Je fus conçu dans le péchéPsalm; Behold, in Evil I Was BornSATB
21Psaume: Je lève mes regards vers la montagnePsalm: O Shall I Raise mine Eyes unto the Mountains?T
22La Chanson d'EphraïmThe Song of EphraimS women's chorus
23Marche des HébreuxMarch of the Hebrews
24Psaume: Je t'aimerai, Seigneur, d'un amour tendrePsalm: In my DistressSATB
25Psaume: Dans cet effroiPsalm: In this Terror, the Great God which I AdoreSATB
26Couronnement de SalomonThe Coronation of Solomon
27Mort de DavidThe Death of DavidS SATB

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 censusing 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 prophecy of a flower blooming from David’s stem.

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 full of with thematic gestures and is most often performed in French.