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A Virgil Thomson Reader

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What Stanley Kauffmann is to film criticism, Virgil Thomson was to music criticism--with one major difference: Thomson is himself a major artist within his critical area, classical music. While Thomson was one of the significant classical composers of his era, his name is perhaps more famous courtesy of his music criticism, which, like his music, is straightforward, erudite, graceful and concise. From the early 40s until the early 50s, Thomson was the most important music critic writing in English, and this rare collection is the finest compilation ever assembled of his reviews, essays, portraits and memoirs. Thoroughly annotated, this is the best place to start for those interested in acquainting themselves with one the finest essayists in our language.