Arthur Honegger’s Symphony No. 2 for Strings and Trumpet is one of my favorite works of the 20th Century.

The piece was commissioned in 1937 by Paul Sacher to mark the tenth anniversary of the Basel Chamber Orchestra. Progress was slow, however, in part due to the interruption of the Second World War. In fact, I have seen program notes suggesting that the piece depicts occupied Paris and that the triumphant final movement symbolizes the composer’s hope for the city’s liberation.

The first performance was given by the Collegium Musicum under Sacher in May 1942.

Hear it here: