Virgil Thomson: Symphony No 1-3

Virgil Thomson (Composer), James Sedares (Conductor), New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: James Sedares
• Composer: Virgil Thomson
• Audio CD (February 22, 2000)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Naxos American
• ASIN: B00004D3IW
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,507 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #39 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Symphonies > Modern & 20th Century
  • #48 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > Forms & Genres > Symphonies
  • #76 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > General Contemporary

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More American Music, October 23, 2005

By 

Brett A. Kniess (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Virgil Thomson: Symphony No 1-3 (Audio CD)

Most often, the only CD's of Virgil Thomson's music you can buy are of his film music, all excellent compositions, but it is nice to have some recordings of his concert music, presented here thanks to Naxos' American Composers series.

Symphony on a Hymn Tune is just that, "variations" on the tunes How Firm a Foundation and Yes, Jesus Loves Me, and some other pentatonic themes he creates to tie the piece together. There are a few Ivesian sounds portrayed, as well as some jazzy syncopations; a great American masterpiece.

Symphony 2 is very diatonic; from the opening trumpet melody (evocative of Lt. Kije), to the lyrical andante, to the restrained, yet grand finale; it is charming from start to finish. In contrast, Symphony 3 seems to be unified through dance. Rhythm and perpetual motion seem to guide the music along. Perhaps a bit more on the serious side to begin with, the 3rd Symphony also revels in melodiousness and optimism, something shared in all of these works.

Pilgrims and Pioneers is a concert version of music written for a short film at the 1964 Worlds Fair. Again using a wide variety of hymn and folk tunes, this time it is used in a much more pondering and dissonant manner, again, almost in the manner of Ives. It is a kind of mish-mash of ideas, perfect for visualizing the American immigrant.

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra plays this music with great fervor. The hall is reverberant, although, not overly so. Since most of this music is not easy to find on one CD, this disk is an easy recommendation.

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Music from a very influential composer, February 15, 2000

By 

F. Behrens "Frank Behrens" (Keene, NH USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Virgil Thomson: Symphony No 1-3 (Audio CD)

"We all loved his music and rarely performed it." Thus Leonard Bernstein in 1989 after the death of Virgil Thomson. I have read many critics who claim his methods of composition were "forced down the throats" of students in America; others who praise him highly. I feel someplace in the middle, but the new addition to Naxos' American Classics series has nudged me a tad toward the second group.

Since many CDs no longer have any definite titles, I will give what the cover states: <Virgil Thomson: Symphony on a Hymn Tune, Symphony No. 2 in C major, Symphony No. 3, Pilgrims and Pioneers> (8.559022). These four works are played by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra under James Sedares. Since the liner notes give the composer's own descriptions of much of what you will hear, I wish only to say here that (a) the "Hymn Tune" piece will be more pleasing to most listeners simply because it is the most melodic, (b) the symphonies are honest attempts to bring an American sound to the symphonic format [and you may decide how well he succeeded], and (c) they all influenced other American composers, some in a negative and some in a positive way, dpending on which critic you read. But it is all very listenable and the Naxos bargain price not to be ignored.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great American Music, May 2, 2006

By 

D. A Wend (Arlington Heights, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Virgil Thomson: Symphony No 1-3 (Audio CD)

I must confess that my opinion of Virgil Thomson has been colored by his somewhat sharp tongued music criticism so I have not been much interested in his music. This was until I heard his Symphony on a Hymn Tune over the radio. The charm of the music and its wealth of melody changed my mind and led me to buying this disc of Virgil Thomson's music.

The music on this CD represents his entire career with the earliest music from 1926 and the latest from 1972. The Symphony on a Hymn Tune is from 1926 (revised in 1945) during the composer's years in Paris and is cast in four movements. The tune in question is a Scottish melody "How Firm a Foundation." It is as the composer described it simple and folkloric is style, evoking the America of Currier and Ives.

The Symphony No. 2 is a short work in three movements composed in 1930 and re-orchestrated in 1941. The key of C major dominated the first and third movements and the music begins with a melody upon which the symphony is based building on that theme. The Third Symphony dates back to 1932 but was expanded and re-orchestrated in 1972. The symphony is in four short movements with its inspiration coming from the quartets of Mendelssohn and Schubert - a classically inspired work utilizing the sonata form. A waltz movement is substituted for a scherzo which gives the symphony a lightness of tone. The Adagio is calm and reflective while the Finale is a charming rondo.

Pilgrims and Pioneers began as film music for a Journey to America, written for the New York World's Fair of 1964. The film, and music, tell the story of immigration to the United States using hymn tunes and evokes the folklore of the people. Thomson created an overture from the music that was first played in 1971. The music recorded here is instantly appealing. When I first played the disc, I had to start it over again; I liked Virgil Thomson's colorful use of the orchestra and enjoy the way he weaves his melodies with such lightness and color. I think this is among the best discs in Naxos' series on American composers and I can now say I have a different appreciation of Virgil Thomson.