Thomson: The River/The Plow That Broke the Plains

Virgil Thomson (Composer), Richard Kapp (Conductor), Philharmonia Virtuosi of New York (Performer)

Product Details

• Performer: Philharmonia Virtuosi of New York
• Conductor: Richard Kapp
• Composer: Virgil Thomson
• Audio CD (January 28, 1994)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Essay
• ASIN: B00000082V
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #213,082 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The River/The Plow that Broke the Plains, May 17, 2007

By	Richard A. Patton "BoyScout" (Ormond Beach, FL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This performance is excellent it is a worthy addition to your collection. It is an exciting performance by the Philharmonic Virtuosi under the direction of Richard Kapp. Both the Plow that Broke the Plains and the River (complete scores here) are a part of American History. The music woven through out these scores should be very familiar as they represent part of Americana.

Buy it!


Background:

Many years ago, I have purchases these two compositions in Vinal. As I recall the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority*) was commissioned by the federal government (FDR's New deal in the 1930's) to solve the growing electrical shortage in the southern states while attempting to redress the damage done to the Mississippi by man or visa versa. After years of study and hearings they decided to damn the Tennessee River and build a hydro electric plant. The problem was that this would resultant in flooding many would displace many people, and whole towns had to be moved to new locations. Virgil Thomson was commissioned to prepare a score for a documentary that would be prepared to present the project to the communities. It was elegant in its execution and masterfully integrated with the film.

* Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a federally owned corporation in the United States created in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly hard hit by the Great Depression. The TVA was envisioned not only as an electricity provider, but also as a regional economic development agency that would use federal experts and electricity to rapidly modernize the region's economy and society. The TVA's jurisdiction covers most of Tennessee, parts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, and small slices of Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I you want to move beyond Copeland. Virgil Thompson has 2 classics, April 5, 2007

By	Bill Murphy "murphbill" (Harrisburg, PA) - See all my reviews

Having accidentally taped a Neville Marriner selection of the River, I wanted the entire composition. This is an excellent rendition of very attractive American works. If you like Appalachian Spring and Rodeo, you will love these works and the recording does them justice.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not an expert!, August 8, 2007

By	D. E. Macias "CineNut" (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm not an expert on music nor a musicologist, but I like this guy's music. It is American. It is classical. It is darn good stuff. I liked it even more the 3rd time I listened to it. I recommend it.