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Amazon.co.uk Review
Virgil Thomson studied composition under the tutelage of Nadia Boulanger in Paris, remaining there for nearly two decades before the invading Germans forced him to flee back across the pond to New York (where he became the notoriously sharp-tongued music critic of the Herald Tribune). His Symphony on a Hymn Tune (1928) serves up a witty mix of American vernacular (listen out for those two Southern-Baptist favourites, "How Firm a Foundation" and "Yes, Jesus Loves Me") with the surrealist, Parisian cool of Erik Satie and Les Six. It's an engaging, unpredictable creation, by turns serene and clowning, and rather more compelling than the Second Symphony of two years later (beautifully scored though that is). The Third Symphony started out as Thomson's 1932 String Quartet No. 2 but wasn't heard in its orchestral guise until pressed into service as the ballet music for his 1972 opera, Lord Byron. You'll probably either love or hate its sophisticated artlessness. That just leaves the 1964 essay Pilgrims and Pioneers, which tends to fall off in quality after a promising start. These are, however, really fine performances under James Sedares's sensitive lead, and a very good recording too. --Andrew Achenbach
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Virgil Thomson : Pilgrims and Pioneers : American Classics,
By Malcolm (Edlesborough, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Thomson, V - Symphonies Nos 2,3. Symphony on a Hymn Tune. (Audio CD)
There are four works on this pleasing release in the American Classics series by Naxos.
Symphony on a Hymn Tune, written in 1928, is simple, straightforward and full of the sense of folklore that Thomson put into his populist pieces. It evokes a nineteenth century rural America, and makes use of hymn themes. How Firm A Foundation and Yes, Jesus Loves Me are interwoven into a pleasing score. Those familiar with Virgil Thomson's music will notice that a slight variation in the last movement was also used by him in his finale to The River. Pilgrims and Pioneers, was initially used as a backing score to a short film, Journey To America, again the composer's scoring uses folk songs and thinly disguised hymn tunes to recreate the nostalgia for the early USA. Symphonies No 2 and 3 are equally good stand alone pieces, showing Thomson's brilliance and appeal. In this recording of almost 65 minutes, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra under the baton of James Sedares, brings Virgil Thomson's music to life, and makes sure that his music will not be forgotten. Sit back in your favourite armchair and let the music transport you to the small rural communities and wide open skies of the America of yesteryear. All for the price of this CD.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.8 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews) 13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More American Music,
By Brett A. Kniess - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Thomson, V - Symphonies Nos 2,3. Symphony on a Hymn Tune. (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,
By F. Behrens "Frank Behrens" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Thomson, V - Symphonies Nos 2,3. Symphony on a Hymn Tune. (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,
By D. A Wend - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Thomson, V - Symphonies Nos 2,3. Symphony on a Hymn Tune. (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. |
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