Virgil Thomson: Symphony No 1-3
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Music CD Cover
Composer: Virgil ThomsonConductor: James Sedares
Orchestra: New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2000-02-22
Music Label: Naxos American
Soundtracks:
- Symphony No. 2 In C Major: 1. Allegro militaire
- Symphony No. 2 In C Major: 2. Andante
- Symphony No. 2 In C Major: 3. Allegro
- Symphony No. 3: 1. Allegro moderato
- Symphony No. 3: 2. Tempo di Valzer
- Symphony No. 3: 3. Adagio sostenuto
- Symphony No. 3: 4. Allegretto
- Pilgrims And Pioneers
- Symphony On A Hymn Tune: 1. Introduction And Allegro
- Symphony On A Hymn Tune: 2. Andante cantabile
- Symphony On A Hymn Tune: 3. Allegretto
- Symphony On A Hymn Tune: 4. Alla breve
Free Music Notes for Virgil Thomson: Symphony No 1-3
Free Music Review: Pure modern Americana
Hit: 5 Stars
These compositions all have a very light feel with an emphasis on clarity. And all these works clearly exude from the American experience. Virgil Thomson, perhaps even more than Aaron Copland, seems to have had the lock on that caveat.
Symphony No. 2 (1931-41, in three movements) is a bridge between an imaginary flight over the Midwestern States and a march. It's somewhat reminiscent of Copland's "Appalachian Spring" but a little more consistent in its rendering.
Symphony No. 3 (1972, in four movements) is notably more mature than its precedent. Still, it's a floating, bouncy fully orchestral composition which, in places, reminded me just a bit of the later works of Dmitri Shostakovich... nationalistic in its flavour. You'll also hear the flow of Tchaikovsky and the scales of Satie.
"Pilgrims and Pioneers" (1964) launches in a darker realm but quickly eases into a Monteverdi approach to something less melodic than one normally hears from this composer. It's a mature and impressive tone poem.
"Symphony on a Hymn Tune" (1928, in 4 movements) manifests a modernistic gospel ambiance but is pretty straightforward stuff. Some abrubt and notable meter changes keep the work interesting and the differences in the flow of the movements separate this composition from more traditional symphony formats. Good background orchestestration contributes significantly to this work.
For the lover of American classical music, this CD would have to be a top-ten pick. James Sedares, conducting The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, provides us with a brillant and meticulous interpretation of Thomson's works. And hats off to Naxos for capturing it so wonderfully -- great sound!
Virgil Thomson: Symphony No 1-3 Poster
Virgil Thomson (1896-1989) was, during his long creative lifetime, one of the major voices in 20th-century American music. He was a noted critic, teacher and, above all, skilled composer. Like the American romantics of the 1930s (Roy Harris, Howard Hanson, and Samuel Barber, to name a few), Thomson drew from many sources, but mostly from 19th-century American folk music and dance theater (as did Aaron Copland). Captured on this disc are four of Thomson's better-known works, played with sympathy, warmth, and charm by the New Zealand SO, with American James Sedares at the helm. It's also part of Naxos's dynamic American Classics series that, so far, has yet to stumble. And, at midprice, it's also a steal. --Paul CookClassical Music CDs
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