Heaven Is Music: Choral and Vocal Music of Virgil Thomson
Rosalind Rees (soprano), Steven Vosatka (piano), Steven Hartman (clarinet), Susan Jolles (harp), Katherine Greene (viola), Thomas Mulvaney (percussion), Georgette Hutchins (alto), Pedro d'Aquino (baritone), Michael Osrowitz (percussion), Gregory Davidson (tenor), Gregg Smith Singers, Gregg Smith
The story of the wide-eyed lad from Kansas City who became the toast of Paris via Harvard, one of America's most influential music critics from his decades' long perch at the New York Herald Tribune and a truly unique and productive composer, is almost hackneyed now, but still bears that "only in America" cachet. It was as a long-term resident of the Chelsea Hotel in New York that Gregg Smith and his Singers got to know the redoubtable Virgil in the later decades of his long life (born in 1896, he died at the age of 92 in 1989.) The present CD is an offering of gratitude for Virgil's support and friendship, as well as a concise overview of his work in the choral field--along with a brief excursion into his solo output.
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Track Listing
| Title | Composer | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| De Profundis | Virgil Thomson | Gregg Smith Singers, Gregg Smith, conductor |
| Tribulationes Civitatum | Virgil Thomson | Gregg Smith Singers, Gregg Smith, conductor |
| O my deir hert | Virgil Thomson | Gregg Smith Singers, Gregg Smith, conductor, Rosalind Rees, soprano, Steven Vosatka, piano |
| Welcome to the New Year | Virgil Thomson | Gregg Smith Singers, Gregg Smith, conductor, Steven Vosatka, piano |
| The Holly and the Ivy | Virgil Thomson | Gregg Smith Singers, Gregg Smith, conductor, Steven Vosatka, piano |
| Four Songs on Poems of Thomas Campion | Virgil Thomson | Rosalind Rees, soprano, Katherine Greene, viola, Steven Hartman, clarinet, Susan Jolles, harp |
| Mass for Two Part Chorus and Percussion | Virgil Thomson | Gregg Smith Singers, Gregg Smith, conductor |
| Seven Choruses from the Medea of Euripedes | Virgil Thomson | Gregg Smith Singers, Gregg Smith, conductor |
| My Shepherd Will Supply My Need | Virgil Thomson | Gregg Smith Singers, Gregg Smith, conductor |
| Hymns from the Old South | Virgil Thomson | Gregg Smith Singers, Gregg Smith, conductor |
Reviews
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"These recordings...represent a terrific collection of much needed work that enhances the reputation of both Thomas and the Singers. I am grateful to have it, one of the best and most impressive recordings I will come across this year. ...a near-perfect production. Highest recommendation!"
*Album cover provided for Editorial use only. ©Albany Records. The Albany Imprint is a registered trademark of PARMA Recordings LLC. The views and opinions expressed in this media are those of the artist and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views and opinions held by PARMA Recordings LLC and its label imprints, subsidiaries, and affiliates.