Everybody's Doing It...

We listened to three pieces today, which were all connected with trains, and all fantastic.
The first was Arthur Honegger's 'Pacific 231'.

Honegger was actually born Oscar Arthur Honegger but never used his first name.
He was one of 'Les Six', the name given to a group of six composers working in Montparnasse, Paris.
The other five being, George Auric, Louis Durey, Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc and Germaine Tailleferre.

Honegger was widely known as a train enthusiast and once said, "I have always loved locomotives passionately. For me they are living creatures and I love them as others love women or horses."

Pacific 231 gained him early notoriety in 1923 and is well worth listening to.

The second train related piece was from the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos.
Villa-Lobos was deeply attached to the music of Bach and believed similarities existed between Bach's compositions and Brazilian folk music.
He explored this theory in a series of nine suites, 'Bachianas Brasileiras'.
The final movement of Suite No.2, 'Little Train of Caipira' represents the train journey that local farmers made in the Sao Paolo area.

The third piece is a very different style but equally as enjoyable.
It is by the American jazz guitarist and composer Pat Metheny.
It's called 'Last Train Home' and is played on a Coral Sitar which is a cross between and electric guitar and a sitar.
The result is a fantastic and unique sound and beautifully played.