A forgotten masterpiece - the Virgil Thompson Cello Concerto
For decades, the only recording of Virgil Thompson's Cello Concerto was the old Luigi Silva recording of the 1950's. Now it's been recorded by Emmanuel Feldman on an CD album called "Rider on the Plains" (which is also the title of the Concerto's 1st Movement) - Albany Records (Troy883).
Romantic, modern (lots of polytonality and wonderfully close dissonances), and an obvious example of Americana in classical music. The second movement is based on a traditional American hymn ("Tribulation," attributed to Chapin). Does anyone agree with me that this is a neglected masterpiece?
Replies (18)
Wayne Crouse passed away a number of years ago.
Sounds like a interesting piece. I will try to get a copy and have a listen.
He also wrote a piece for violin a piano. I think it's called "4 ladies"
but I don't know that also.
Jim and Sam: Thanks for the interest and the info. Haven't heard the "4 Ladies" yet.
Sandy
Not sure that there is a commercially available recording of the Four Ladies--rental parts can be obtained from G Schirmer.
Virgil Thomson (1896-1989) some works for strings:
Concerto for Cello
Violoncello and Piano edition
Publisher: Franco Colombo Publications/ Belwin Mills
POP? There may be a copy in the EAMDLLC rental library.
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
Instrumental Solo and Orchestra 22’
Instrumentation:
Cello solo. 2d 2d 2d 3 . 4 2 0 0 . Tmp. Per. Cel. Hrp. Str.
Movements:
1. Allegretto (Rider on the Plains, 2. Andante (Variations on a Southern Hymn), 3. Vivo ma non troppo (Children's Games)
Published by Belwin Mills. U.S. Rental agent EAMDLLC in NYC.
http://www.eamdllc.com/work_details.cfm?id=962
5 LADIES
Violin and Piano
Publisher: G. Schirmer, Inc.
Contents: Alice Toklas • Anne Miracle • Cynthia Kemper • Mary Reynolds • Yvonne.
$8.00 Sales agent Hal Leonard # HL 50336470
3 PORTRAITS
Violin and Piano
Publisher: G. Schirmer, Inc.
$12.95 Sales agent # HL 50331770
EIGHT PORTRAITS
for Violin Alone
Publisher: Boosey & Hawkes
Contents: Georges Hugnet, Poet and Man of Letters • Señorita Juanita de Medina accompanied by her mother • Madame Marthe-Marthine • Miss Gertrude Stein as a young girl • Cliquet-Pleyel in F • Mrs. Chester Whitin Lasell • Sauguet, from life • Ruth Smallens.
$14.50 Sales agent # HL 48002992
SONATA
for Violin and Piano
Publisher: Boosey & Hawkes
$25.95 Sales agent # HL 48002971
Obscure pieces are bothersome since there's little hope of finding them for download.
I have never heard the cello concerto-I bet it is very interesting. He wrote a whole tone string piece for my all state orchestra in 1982, but I don't think it was ever published.
It is an unhappy irony that within days of my posting this discussion of Thompson's little-known Cello Concerto, we learn of the death of Mstislav Rostropovich. Since I heard the news this morning, all I can think about is the heartbreaking 2nd Movement, which is actually a traditional hymn and variations. I'm not sure he ever heard it. If he had, I'm sure he would have played it and recorded it.
OK, it's time for the traditional violinist.com 4-year update: The Thompson Cello Concerto is still as beautiful as it always was. Maybe it's just me, but in my heart of hearts this piece has risen past a lot of more well known cello concertos and now stands at #3 (after the Dvorak and Elgar). I'd love to hear anyone's assessments if you've been tenacious enough to find a recording (or perused the sheet music) and interested enough to give it a listen.
OK, so it's almost the 4-year anniversary of my putting up this discussion thread, and apparently no one in that time has found a recording of the Thomson Cello Concerto and actually listened to it. I think you're really missing something great. Any takers?
Sincerely (and lonely),
Sandy
And in all this time, no one seems to have noticed that I spelled his name wrong - it's "Thomson"
As a fellow Heifetz fan, you should know that we are still pouting in a corner over that review. ;-)
On the strength of your enthusiasm I downloaded the concerto. I admire your persistence! We just had our second international cello festival here in Adelaide. Maybe we can get it programmed at our next one in a few years time!
Hello, Strangers: Glad to hear from you.
Bill: I, too, intensely disagree with Thomson's well-written, logical, and eloquent but misguided and dead-wrong criticism of Heifetz ("Silk Underwear Music"). But as a composer, he is highly, highly underrated and ignored. There is so much "American" classical music that is great, but I think this concerto ranks right up there and surpasses a lot of other "classics." In fact, the slow movement is as beautiful as anything ever written by anybody.
I hope I've sparked some renewed interest. In fact, it seems to me that there are some things about the Cello Concerto that may translate well if arranged as a violin concerto, since so much of the cello writing is in a high register. In other passages, I think, the lower register of the cello is just right.
Martin: That would be great if someone decided to perform it. I don't think I recall having seen or heard of any performance of it in at least 50 years. If that's true, then "forgotten masterpiece" is a masterpiece of understatement.
Cheers,
Sandy
Just found a couple of wonderful discussions, reviews, and re-evaluations of this great but neglected concerto.
http://www.violacentral.com/article/default.aspx?articleid=21831&printable=yes
http://www.amazon.com/review/R2O6AC34ML7ICJ
This would have been a highly appropriate piece (especially the 2nd movement) to play yesterday, September 11th (the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks).
I am with you Sander. i heard this piece on the radio and was transfixed. it is accessible to listen to but must be horribly difficult to play, probably one of the reasons there are so few recordings.
Thank you, William: You and I may be the only ones who have ever heard the darn thing. Ain't it great, though?
Sandy
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April 24, 2007 at 02:18 PM · OK, so nobody's interested in it. You're really missing something good. Also, I think it just might make it as a violin concerto. Anyone interested in transcribing it for violin? It has already been transcribed for viola by Wayne Crouse (2504 Walnut Road Norman, Oklahoma, 73069.)
So?.......
[chirp, chirp, chirp]