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MOS Composer of the Month: Previous Page, Next Page, Index |
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Composer of the Month - September, 2003 Randall Thompson, 1899-1984 The autumn concert of the 2003-2004 Michael O'Neal Singers Born on April 21, 1899, Thompson found the academic world his natural environment, beginning his education at a New Jersey school where his father taught English. He entered Harvard University at the age of 17 and promptly failed the audition for the Harvard Glee Club. Not willing to let such a setback deter him, he eventually gained entry to the chorus and even became a protégé of Archibald T. Davison, the conductor. After graduating from Harvard, he continued his education at the American Academy in Rome, Italy, eventually returning to America to pursue a career encompassing both composition and teaching. Positions included Wellesley College, University of California (Berkeley), The Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, and a professorship at his alma mater, Harvard. One of his Harvard students was Leonard Bernstein, who later recognized his former professor by recording Thompson's Symphony No. 2 in 1968. Thompson did extensive work in choral pedagogy, including the publication of a seminal study he conducted in 1935 that led to a nationwide revolution in the teaching of music on college campuses. His Italian residency stood him in good stead when, in 1959, he was conferred the title Cavaliere Ufficiale al Merito della Repubblica Italiana. Thompson Alleluia is one of the most well-known of all of Thompson's choral works, first performed in 1940 and later appearing in the repertoire of virtually every American high school and collegiate chorus. Frostiana was a collaboration between Thompson and poet Robert Frost. The city of Amherst, Massachusetts had commissioned the work in 1958 to celebrate the city's 200th anniversary. Frost, who had previously lived in Amherst and was acquainted with Thompson, helped select the poems to be used in the composition. At the premier, with Thompson conducting, it is reported that Frost rose from his seat at the conclusion of "Choose something like a star," and shouted, "Sing that again!" Testament of Freedom comprises four movements based on four passages from Jefferson's writings. The selections span his public life from the birth of the new country to his hope late in life that America would forever serve as a beacon of light and liberty to the rest of the world. Thompson died in July 1984 after a musical career that covered more than 60 years. During that time he helped define American choral music, and left a legacy of both composition and instructional method for which all lovers of choral music can be grateful. For further reading on the life and work of Randall Thompson: Click here for more information about the MOS Composer of the Month feature. |
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MOS Composer of the Month: Previous Page, Next Page, Index
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