# American Composer Corner: Virgil Thomson



## Mirror Image

VIRGIL THOMSON
















Perhaps best known for his collaborations with author Gertrude Stein, American composer and music critic Virgil Thomson was born in Kansas City. He began playing piano at the age of five and began taking lessons with local teachers at age 12. He studied organ from 1909 until 1917, and again in 1919. As a young man, Thomson worked as an organist in his family's church of Calvary Baptist, as well as in other churches throughout Kansas City. After attending Central High School from 1908 to 1913, Thomson enrolled at a local junior college, where he studied from 1915 to 1917, and again in 1919. During World War I, Thomson enrolled in the Army, where he served in a field artillery unit. He also received training in radio telephony at Columbia University and in aviation in Texas. The war ended shortly before Thomson was to leave for France.

In the fall of 1919, Thomson enrolled at Harvard University, where he met three individuals who would come to have a profound influence on the young musician. The first of these was Edward Burlingame Hill, with whom Thomson studied orchestration and modern French music. Archibald T. Davison was the conductor of the Harvard Glee Club, a group with which Thomson spent three years as assistant and accompanist. Thomson also came into contact with S. Foster Damon, a Blake Scholar who introduced him to the music of Satie and the writings of Gertrude Stein. Thomson began to compose in 1920, while still a student at Harvard.

Thomson spent the summer of 1921 touring Europe with the Glee Club. As the tour wound down, Thomson decided to remain, and under a John Knowles Paine Traveling Fellowship, he studied organ with Nadia Boulanger and counterpoint privately. During this time, he continued to compose and had his first critical writings published by the Boston Transcript. Upon his return the U.S., Thomson returned to Harvard and became organist/choirmaster at King's Chapel in Boston. After his graduation from Harvard in 1923, a grant from the Juilliard School allowed him to go to New York, where he studied conducting with Chalmers Clifton and counterpoint with Rosario Scalero.

From 1925 to 1940, aside from occasional visits to the U.S., Thomson resided in Paris. It was there, in 1926, that he met Stein. The two began to plan an opera, the result of which is Four Saints in Three Acts, perhaps Thomson's most famous work. For a period of approximately seven years after the composition of Four Saints in Three Acts, Thomson explored the problems of "pure" music as he worked on expanding his technical facility as a composer, especially in regards to writing for string instruments. During the late 1930s, Thomson returned to a more nationalistic vein with the scores to two films, The Plow That Broke the Plain and The River, and a ballet, Filling Station.

In October of 1940, Thomson became music critic for The New York Herald Tribune. Although he continued to compose during his 14 years at the post, Thomson established himself as one of the foremost critical writers of the era. His writings, which are characterized by a brilliant and at times deeply provocative, but always highly opinionated whit, furnished material for three anthologies; The Musical Scene, The Art of Judging Music and Music, and Right and Left. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Thomson traveled extensively as a guest lecturer, or a conference participant, all the while continuing to conduct, write articles, and compose.

[Article taken from All Music Guide]

An important American composer, Thomson was very influential probably best known for his opera "Four Saints in Three Acts," his film scores "The Plow That Broke the Plain" and "The River." He also composed three great symphonies, which have been rarely performed.


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## Mirror Image

No Thomson fans here?!?!? What is wrong with you people?!?!?!?


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## BuddhaBandit

You've picked a good one, MI! I like Thompson a lot. I saw The Plow That Broke The Plains (the film) in a history class a long tim ago, and was immediately taken in by the soundtrack. The symphonies are great, too- they remind me of Copland's populist period, but they also show a clear European influence. However, my favorite Thompson work is the Five Portraits for Four Clarinets- it's a very odd ensemble, and could easily be boring in the wrong hands. But Thompson's piece manages to give each clarinet a distinct personality.


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## handlebar

I'm a HUGE Thomson fan,owning all the available recordings and every book he authored. One needs to delve into his music a bit more to see this man's heart though. I would say that I admire 40% of his works as many are not to my liking. But that 40% enthrall me and coupled with his writings and critics eye on the music scene and one really gets a feel for the period from 1925-55 well.
he was a major influence in the American music scene for decades.

The films mentioned above (The River and The Plow that broke the plains) are tremendous and vital parts of the weaving of American life during a most difficult time in our history. They can be found for free on various websites such as Youtube,etc. Must be seen to gain an understanding of American life during the Depression.

Thanks for this thread.

Jim


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## Mirror Image

handlebar said:


> I'm a HUGE Thomson fan,owning all the available recordings and every book he authored. One needs to delve into his music a bit more to see this man's heart though. I would say that I admire 40% of his works as many are not to my liking. But that 40% enthrall me and coupled with his writings and critics eye on the music scene and one really gets a feel for the period from 1925-55 well.
> he was a major influence in the American music scene for decades.
> 
> The films mentioned above (The River and The Plow that broke the plains) are tremendous and vital parts of the weaving of American life during a most difficult time in our history. They can be found for free on various websites such as Youtube,etc. Must be seen to gain an understanding of American life during the Depression.
> 
> Thanks for this thread.
> 
> Jim


I'm actually digging his symphonies right now. Good stuff indeed.


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## handlebar

I admit though that his choral works and songs are a dud to me. They just are not on the level of a Barber or Thompson (Randall that is).
His symphonies are good and the chamber music needs to be heard as well.

Jim


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## Mirror Image

handlebar said:


> I admit though that his choral works and songs are a dud to me. They just are not on the level of a Barber or Thompson (Randall that is).
> His symphonies are good and the chamber music needs to be heard as well.
> 
> Jim


Thomson isn't known for his choral works, so anyone who researches his music will soon find that out on their own I'm sure.


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