Thomson, Virgil (Garnett)

Thomson, Virgil (Garnett) (b Kansas City, 1896; d NY, 1989). Amer. composer, critic, and organist. Mus. child prodigy. Wrote criticism for Vanity Fair. Lived in Paris 1925–32, associating with Les Six and Gertrude Stein. Returned to NY permanently 1940, becoming mus. critic of Herald-Tribune until 1954. Had considerable success with comic opera Four Saints in Three Acts, lib. by Stein, prod. 1934, followed in 1947 by The Mother of Us All, also to a Stein lib. Wrote several successful film scores (incl. Louisiana Story, 1948) and much incidental mus., esp. for Shakespeare plays. Influenced by Debussy and Satie. Inveterate champion of 20th-cent. mus. A waspish, occasionally percipient, critic. Works incl.:OPERAS: Four Saints in Three Acts (1927–8, orch. 1933); The Mother of Us All (1947); Lord Byron (1961–8).ORCH.: 3 syms. (1928, 1931 rev. 1941, 1972, 3rd being transcr. of 2nd str. qt., 1932); Suite (Portraits) Nos. 1 and 2 (1944); vc. conc. (1949); Ode to the Wonders of Nature, brass, perc. (1965); A Love Scene (1982).CHAMBER MUSIC: 2 str. qts. (1931, rev. 1957, 1932, rev. 1957); 5 Portraits, 4 cl. (1929); 4 Portraits, vn., pf. (1931); 7 Portraits, vn. (1928).VOCAL: Capital, Capitals, 4 male vv., pf. (1927). Also 4 pf. sonatas and other works, songs, etc.