Virgil Thomson : Work List

• Orchestra
  •  Acadian Songs and Dances from “Louisiana Story” (1948) - 15

    Orchestration   2(pic).2(ca).2(bcl).2/2220/2perc.xyl/acn.hp/str

  •  Autumn, Concertino for Harp, Percussion and Strings (1964) - 10

    Orchestration   perc/hp/str

  •  Bugles and Birds (Picasso), Mvt. 1 from “Eight Portraits” (1940) - 2

    Orchestration   3222/4231/str

  •  Canons for Dorothy Thompson, Mvt. 2 from “Eight Portraits” (1942) - 4

    Orchestration   2222/4230/str

  •  Cantabile (Portrait of Nicolas de Chatelin) (1944) - 5

    Orchestration   str

  •  Four Saints: An Olio (1982) - 20

    Orchestration   2(pic).2(ca).2(acl).2/2110/2perc.glock/acn/str(1.1.1.1.1)

  •  Fugue (Alexander Smallens), Mvt. 3 from “Eight Portraits” (1944) - 3

    Orchestration   3222/4230/str

  •  Fugue and Chorale on Yankee Doodle (1945) - 5

    Orchestration   212+bcl.1/2320/timp.perc/str

  •  Louisiana Story: Suite (orchestra) (1948) - 18

    Orchestration   2222/4231/timp.perc/hp/str

  •  Mayor La Guardia Waltzes, Mvt. 4 from “Eight Portraits” (1942) - 8

    Orchestration   3222/4231/str

  •  Meditation (Jere Abbott), Mvt. 5 from “Eight Portraits” (1944) - 2

    Orchestration   2222/2220/str

  •  The Mother of Us All, Suite (1949) - 18

    Orchestration   22(ca).2(bcl).2/4210/perc/hp.pf/str

  •  Pastorale (Aaron Copland), Mvt. 6 from “Eight Portraits” (1945) - 4

    Orchestration   3222/4231/str

  •  Percussion Piece (J.K.L.), Mvt. 7 from “Eight Portraits” (1944) - 3

    Orchestration   3222/4231/perc/str

  •  Pilgrims and Pioneers, from John Houseman’s film “Journey to America” (1964) - 10

    Orchestration   11(ca).2(bcl).1/4200/perc/str

  •  The Plow That Broke the Plains (1936) - 26

    Soloist(s)   Narrator (opt)

    Orchestration   1(pic).1(ca).1(asx)+bcl(tsx).1+cbn/2220/timp.3perc/gtr(bjo).hmn/str

  •  The Plow that Broke the Plains: Suite (orchestra) (1942) - 15

    Soloist(s)   Narrator (opt)

    Orchestration   11(ca).2+bcl.asx+tsx.2/2220/timp.2perc/gtr(bjo)/str

  •  Sea Piece with Birds (1952) - 5

    Orchestration   3333/4330/perc/[hp]/str

  •  The Seine at Night (1947) - 8

    Orchestration   3333/4331/perc/cel.2hp/str

  •  A Solemn Music and a Joyful Fugue (1962) - 12

    Orchestration   3333/4331/timp.perc/str

  •  Tango Lullaby (Senorita Alvarez of Toledo), Mvt. 8 from “Eight Portraits” (1944) - 3

    Orchestration   2111/0000/bells/str

  •  Three Pictures for Orchestra

    Orchestration   orchestra

  •  Wheat Field at Noon (1948) - 6

    Orchestration   3333/4330/perc/hp/str

• Soloist(s) and Orchestra
  •  The Feast of Love (1964) - 8

    Soloist(s)   Baritone

    Orchestration   1121/0000/perc/hp/str

  •  Pigeons on the Grass Alas (from “Four Saints in Three Acts”) (1928) - 3

    Soloist(s)   Baritone

    Orchestration   1121/2110/2perc/acn.hmn/str

• Works for Band/Wind/Brass Ensemble
  •  Edges: A Portrait of Robert Indiana (for concert band)

    Orchestration   concert band

  •  Fugue and Chorale on Yankee Doodle for Band (1945) - 4

    Orchestration   concert band

    Arranger / Editor   Erickson

  •  A Joyful Fugue 5

    Orchestration   2fl+pic.2ob.3cl+Ebcl+acl+bcl.asx+tsx+barsx.2bn/4hn.2tpt+3cnt.3tbn.2euph.2tba/timp.6perc

    Arranger / Editor   Charles Fussell

  •  A Solemn Music (1949) - 7

    Orchestration   2fl+2pic.2ob.3cl+Ebcl+acl+bcl.4sx.2bn/4hn.2tpt+3cnt.3tbn+2bar.2tba/timp.2 perc

  •  Study Piece: Portrait of a Lady for Band (1973) - 3

    Orchestration   concert band

• Large Ensemble (7 or more players)
  •  Chorale from “Louisiana Story” (1948) - 3

    Orchestration   2fl+pic.2ob.3cl+Ebcl+acl+bcl+2cbcl.4sx.2bn

    Arranger / Editor   Frank Erickson

  •  Fanfare for France (Max Kahn) (1940) - 3

    Orchestration   4hn.3tpt.3tbn/side dm.field dm

  •  Metropolitan Museum Fanfare 2

    Orchestration   4hn.2tpt+3cnt.3tbn.tba/timp.4perc

  •  Ode to the Wonders of Nature (1957) - 3

    Orchestration   2hn.3tpt.3tbn/timp.snare dm.field dm

• Works for 2-6 Players
  •  Barcarolle for Woodwinds (Georges Hugnet) (1940) - 2

    Orchestration   fl.ob+ca.cl+bcl.bn

  •  Family Portrait (1974) - 10

    Orchestration   2 tpt, hn, 2 tbn

  •  Five Ladies (1930) - 8

    Soloist(s)   Violin

    Orchestration   pf

  •  Five Portraits for Four Clarinets (1929) - 9

    Orchestration   two clarinets, alto clarinet, bass clarinet

  •  Four Portraits (1940) - 9

    Orchestration   vc, pf

    Arranger / Editor   Luigi Silva

  •  The Plow that Broke the Plains: Suite (brass quintet) (1936) - 15

    Orchestration   hn, 2tpt, tbn, tba

    Arranger / Editor   Jay Rozen

• Solo Works (excluding keyboard)
  •  In a Bird Cage: A Portrait of Lise Deharme (1940) - 2

    Orchestration   vc

    Arranger / Editor   Frances-Marie Uitti

  •  Three Portraits (1940) - 6

    Orchestration   vc

    Arranger / Editor   transcribed by Samuel Dushkin

• Solo Keyboard(s)
  •  Edges: A Portrait of Robert Indiana (piano)

    Orchestration   pf

  •  Five Chorale Preludes (1924) - 7

    Orchestration   organ

  •  Louisiana Story: Suite (piano) (1948) - 18

    Orchestration   pf

  •  Man of Iron: A Portrait of Willy Eisenhart (1972) - 2

    Orchestration   piano

  •  Nine Etudes (Etudes, set 2) (1940) - 15

    Orchestration   pf

  •  Organ Voluntaries (1985)

    Orchestration   organ

  •  Pange Lingua (1962) - 9

    Orchestration   organ

  •  Passacaglia (1922) - 7

    Orchestration   organ

  •  The Plow that Broke the Plains: Suite (piano) (1942) - 15

    Orchestration   pf

  •  Portraits: Album 1 15

    Orchestration   pf

  •  Portraits: Album 2 15

    Orchestration   pf

  •  Portraits: Album 3 16

    Orchestration   pf

  •  Portraits: Album 4 14

    Orchestration   pf

  •  Prelude (1922) - 2

    Orchestration   org

  •  Seventeen Portraits (1982) - 20

    Orchestration   pf

  •  Walking Song (1945) - 2

    Orchestration   2 pf
    (piano solo)

    Arranger / Editor   Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale

• Chorus a cappella / Chorus plus 1 instrument
  •  The Akond of Swat, from Cantata on Poems of Edward Lear (1973)

    Soloist(s)   Baritone

    Chorus   SATB

    Orchestration   piano

  •  De Profundis (1951)

    Chorus   chorus a cappella

  •  Half an Alphabet from Cantata on Poems of Edward Lear (1973)

    Chorus   chorus

    Orchestration   2222/4230/perc/str

  •  Jerusalem, My Happy Home (1963)

    Soloist(s)   Cello

    Chorus   chorus

  •  My Master Hath a Garden (SATB w/piano) (1963) - 2

    Chorus   SATB

    Orchestration   pf

  •  A Prayer to Venus (1981)

    Chorus   SATB

    Orchestration   piano

  •  Saint’s Procession (1928) - 5

    Soloist(s)   mezzo soprano, bass

    Chorus   SATB

    Orchestration   piano

  •  Scenes from the Holy Infancy (1937) - 9

    Soloist(s)   tenor, baritone, bass

    Chorus   SATB

    Orchestration   piano

  •  Seven Choruses from the Medea of Euripides (1934) - 10

    Chorus   SSAA

    Orchestration   percussion, ad lib
    (arrangement is SATB)

    Arranger / Editor   Daniel Pinkham

  •  Three Antiphonal Psalms (1922) - 5

    Chorus   two-part chorus [SA or TB]

  •  Tribulationes Civitatum (1922) - 3

    Chorus   SATB a cappella

• Chorus and Orchestra/Ensemble
  •  Cantantes Eamus (1982) - 1

    Chorus   TTBB

    Orchestration   3tpt.3tbn/timp/2perc/pf

  •  Cantata on Poems of Edward Lear (1974) - 21

    Soloist(s)   Soprano, Baritone

    Chorus   Chorus

    Orchestration   2(pic).2(ca).2(bcl).2/4230/timp.perc/pf/str

  •  Four Saints in Three Acts (oratorio version) (1934) - 45

    Soloist(s)   2 Sopranos, 2 Mezzo sopranos, 2 Tenors, Baritone, 2 Basses

    Chorus   SATB chorus

    Orchestration   1111/2110/perc/harm.acn/str

  •  The Jumblies from Cantata on Poems of Edward Lear (1973)

    Soloist(s)   soprano

    Chorus   chorus

    Orchestration   pf, vn, vc, db, perc

  •  Mass (1962) - 14

    Chorus   Solo Voice or Unison Chorus

    Orchestration   2(pic).2(ca).2(bcl).2/2210/perc/hp/str
    (pf)

  •  The Nativity (1967) - 7

    Soloist(s)   Alto, Tenor, Bass

    Chorus   SATB

    Orchestration   2222/2200/perc/org/str
    (pf or 2pf)

• Solo Voice(s) and up to 6 players
  •  Before Sleeping (1963) - 3

    Soloist(s)   voice

    Orchestration   pf

  •  The Cat

    Soloist(s)   Soprano & Baritone

    Orchestration   Soprano, Baritone

  •  Collected Songs (24 Songs for high voice and piano)

    Orchestration   Voice, pf

  •  Collected Songs (25 Songs for low voice and piano)

    Orchestration   Voice, pf

  •  The Courtship of the Yongly Bongly Bo (1973) - 6

    Soloist(s)   medium voice

    Orchestration   piano

  •  Dirge (1947) - 1

    Soloist(s)   voice

    Orchestration   piano

  •  Down at the Docks (1959) - 3

    Soloist(s)   voice

    Orchestration   piano

  •  English Usage (1963) - 2

    Soloist(s)   voice

    Orchestration   piano

  •  From the Canticle of the Sun (from Praises and Prayers) (1963) - 7

    Soloist(s)   voice

    Orchestration   piano

  •  The Holly and the Ivy (1955) - 5

    Soloist(s)   Voice (or SATB chorus)

    Chorus   Voice (or SATB chorus)

    Orchestration   piano

  •  Let’s Take A Walk (1959) - 3

    Soloist(s)   voice

    Orchestration   piano

  •  Love Song (1959) - 3

    Soloist(s)   voice

    Orchestration   pf

  •  Mostly About Love (1959) - 13

    Soloist(s)   voice

    Orchestration   piano

  •  My Crow Pluto (1963) - 2

    Soloist(s)   voice

    Orchestration   piano

  •  My Master Hath a Garden (from Praises and Prayers) (1963) - 2

    Soloist(s)   voice

    Orchestration   piano

  •  Portrait of Frances Blood (1929) - 5

    Soloist(s)   voice

    Orchestration   pf,

  •  Praises and Prayers (1935) - 20

    Soloist(s)   voice

    Orchestration   pf

  •  A Prayer to Saint Catherine (1959) - 4

    Soloist(s)   voice

    Orchestration   pf

  •  Preciosilla (1927) - 5

    Soloist(s)   voice

    Orchestration   piano

  •  Sung by the Shepherds, from “Praises and Prayers”

    Soloist(s)   voice

    Orchestration   pf

  •  The Tiger (1926) - 4

    Soloist(s)   voice

    Orchestration   pf

    Arranger / Editor   Jay Rozen

• Opera and Music Theatre
  •  Four Saints in Three Acts (1934) - 1 30

    Soloist(s)   2 Sopranos, 2 Mezzo sopranos, 2 Tenors, Baritone, 2 Basses

    Chorus   SATB chorus; ballet

    Orchestration   1111/2110/perc/harm.acn/str

  •  The Mother of Us All (1947) - 1 44

    Soloist(s)   dramatic Soprano, Countertenor, 2 Basses, 3 Mezzo sopranos, lyric Tenor, 3 Tenors, 2 Baritones, lyric Soprano, 3 Bass Baritones, Alto, high Baritone, Soprano

    Chorus   SATB chorus

    Orchestration   1(pic)1(ca)2(bcl)1/2210/perc.hp/pf/str
    (tpt/perc/pf(cel).org[hmn]/vn.vc)