Role

:

Composer Conductor  

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

November 25, 1896 in Kansas City, MO

Death

:

September 30, 1989 in New York City, NY

Period

:

Contemporary

 

 

Modern

Genre

:

Keyboard

 

 

Vocal

 

Virgil Thomson was an American composer, music critic, and writer who was born on November 25, 1896, in Kansas City, Missouri. He was the son of George Thomson, a businessman, and his wife, Gertrude. Thomson's family was not particularly musical, but he showed an early interest in music and began taking piano lessons at the age of six. Thomson's musical education continued at Harvard University, where he studied with composer Edward Burlingame Hill. After graduating in 1923, Thomson moved to Paris to study with Nadia Boulanger, a renowned composition teacher. While in Paris, Thomson became friends with a number of other American expatriate artists, including Gertrude Stein, who would become a major influence on his work. Thomson's early compositions were heavily influenced by French composers such as Erik Satie and Francis Poulenc, as well as by American folk music. His first major work, the Symphony on a Hymn Tune, was premiered in 1928 and was well-received by critics. Thomson's music was characterized by its simplicity and clarity, as well as its use of traditional forms and tonal harmonies. In addition to his work as a composer, Thomson was also a prolific music critic and writer. He wrote for a number of publications, including the New York Herald Tribune and the New York Post, and was known for his witty and insightful commentary on the music of his time. Thomson's writing was also heavily influenced by his friendship with Gertrude Stein, and he often used her ideas about language and structure in his own work. Thomson's most famous work is probably his score for the ballet Four Saints in Three Acts, which was premiered in 1934. The ballet, which was choreographed by Frederick Ashton and featured a libretto by Gertrude Stein, was a groundbreaking work that combined avant-garde music and dance with a distinctly American sensibility. The score, which featured a chorus of African American singers, was praised for its use of folk melodies and its innovative use of rhythm and harmony. Thomson continued to compose throughout his life, but his later works were less well-received than his earlier ones. He also continued to write about music, and his book The State of Music, which was published in 1940, remains a classic work of music criticism. Thomson died on September 30, 1989, in New York City. He was 92 years old. Despite his relatively modest output as a composer, Thomson remains an important figure in American music history, both for his own compositions and for his contributions as a critic and writer. His music, with its blend of traditional forms and tonal harmonies with modernist techniques and American folk influences, continues to be studied and performed today.

More....