Virgil Thomson


Virgil Thomson was an American composer and critic. He was instrumental in the development of the "American Sound" in classical music. He has been described as a modernist, a neoromantic, a neoclassicist, and a composer of "an Olympian blend of humanity and detachment" whose "expressive voice was always carefully muted" until his late opera Lord Byron which, in contrast to all his previous work, exhibited an emotional content that rises to "moments of real passion".

Biography

Early years

Thomson was born in Kansas City, Missouri. As a child he befriended Alice Smith, great-granddaughter of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter-day Saint movement. During his youth he often played the organ in Grace Church,, as his piano teacher was the church's organist. After World War I, he entered Harvard University thanks to a loan from Dr. Fred M. Smith, the president of the Reorganized [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints], and father of Alice Smith. His tours of Europe with the Harvard Glee Club helped nurture his desire to return there.
At Harvard, Thomson focused his studies on the piano work of Erik Satie. He studied in Paris on fellowship for a year, and after graduating lived in Paris from 1925 until 1940. While studying in Paris he was influenced by several French composers who were members of "Les Six" including: Darius Milhaud, Francis Poulenc, Arthur Honegger, Georges Auric, and Germaine Tailleferre. He eventually studied with Nadia Boulanger and became a fixture of "Paris in the twenties".
In Paris in 1925, he cemented a relationship with painter Maurice Grosser, who was to become his life partner and frequent collaborator. Later he and Grosser lived at the Hotel Chelsea, where he presided over a largely gay salon that attracted many of the leading figures in music and art and theater, including Leonard Bernstein, Tennessee Williams, and many others. He also encouraged many younger composers and literary figures such as Theodor Adorno, Ned Rorem, Lou Harrison, John Cage, Frank O'Hara, and Paul Bowles. Grosser died in 1986, three years before Thomson.
File:Gertrude stein.jpg|thumb|left|upright=.7|Gertrude Stein in 1934, photograph by Carl Van Vechten
His most important friend from this period was Gertrude Stein, who was an artistic collaborator and mentor to him. After meeting Stein in Paris in 1926, Thomson invited her to prepare a libretto for an opera which he hoped to compose. Their collaboration resulted in the premier of the groundbreaking composition Four Saints in Three Acts in 1934. At the time, the opera was noted for its form, musical content and the portrayal of European saints by an all-black cast. Years later in 1947, he collaborated once again with Stein on his provocative opera The Mother of Us All which portrays the life of the social reformer Susan B. Anthony. Thomson incorporated musical elements from Baptist hymns, Gregorian chants and popular songs into both scores while demonstrating a restrained use of dissonance.
Thomson's contributions to music were not limited to the operatic stage, however. In 1936, he established a collaboration with the film director Pare Lorentz and composed music for the documentary film The Plow That Broke the Plains for the United States government's Resettlement Administration. Thomson incorporated folk melodies and religious musical themes into the film score and subsequently composed an orchestral suite of the same name which was recorded by Leopold Stokowski and the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra in 1946 for RCA Victor. In 1938 he also formed a collaboration with Lorentz and the operatic singer Thomas Hardie Chalmers on the documentary film The River for the United States government's Farm Security Administration. Thomson composed an orchestra suite based on the score; when it was published, the musical journal Notes commented: "Delightful as background music, the piece is an awful bore when you try to give it your full attention".
Subsequently, in 1948 he collaborated with the director Robert J. Flaherty on the docufiction film Louisiana Story, for which he received the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1949. At the time, the award was the only Pulitzer Prize in music granted for a musical composition written exclusively for film. Thomson's suite based on the score was premiered by Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1949 to widespread critical acclaim.
Following the publication of his book, The State of Music, Thomson established himself in New York City as a rival of Aaron Copland. Thomson's criticisms of Copland were phrased in terms that brought accusations of antisemitism, but Copland remained on good terms with him, and Thomson admitted his envy of Copland's greater success as a composer. Thomson was also a music critic for the New York Herald-Tribune from 1940 to 1954. A fellow critic, Robert Miles, accused him of being "vindictive and of settling scores in print". In a 1997 article in American Music, Suzanne Robinson writes that Thomson, motivated by "a mixture of spite, national pride, and professional jealousy" was consistently "severe and spiteful" to Benjamin Britten. Miles records that Thomson agitated for more performances in New York of new music, including his own.
Thomson's definition of music was "that which musicians do", and his views on music are radical in their insistence on reducing the rarefied aesthetics of music to market activity. He even went so far as to claim that the style a piece was written in could be most effectively understood as a consequence of its income source.

Later years

In 1969, Thomson composed Metropolitan Museum Fanfare: Portrait Of An American Artist to accompany the The [Metropolitan Museum of Art Centennial|Museum's Centennial] exhibition "New York Painting And Sculpture: 1940–1970".
Thomson became a sort of mentor and father figure to a new generation of American tonal composers such as Ned Rorem, Paul Bowles and Leonard Bernstein, a circle united as much by their shared homosexuality as by their similar compositional sensibilities. Women composers were not part of that circle, and one writer has suggested that, as a critic, he selectively omitted mention of their works, or adopted a more passive tone when praising them.

Awards and honors

Thomson was a recipient of Yale University's Sanford Medal. In 1949, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music for the score to the film Louisiana Story and in 1977, he was awarded The Edward MacDowell Medal by The MacDowell Colony for outstanding contributions to American culture. In addition, the Kennedy Center Honors award was bestowed upon Thomson in 1983. In 1988, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Ronald Reagan. He was a National Patron of Delta Omicron, an international professional music fraternity.

Death

Thomson died on September 30, 1989, in his suite at the Hotel Chelsea in Manhattan, aged 92. He had lived at the Chelsea for close to 50 years.

Works

Thomson's compositions are:

Operas

Four Saints in Three Acts, libretto by Gertrude Stein The Mother of Us All, libretto by Gertrude Stein, 1947Lord Byron, libretto by Jack Larson

Ballet

Filling Station choreography by Lew Christensen Bayou choreography by George Balanchine ; music from Acadian Songs and Dances from the film Louisiana StoryThe Harvest According choreography by Agnes de Mille ; music from Symphony on a Hymn Tune, ''Concerto for Cello, and Suite from The Mother of Us AllHurray! choreography by Erick Hawkins music: Symphony No. 2Parson Weems and the Cherry Tree'' choreography by Erick Hawkins

Film scores

The Plow That Broke the Plains, film by Pare Lorentz Produced by the Works Progress Administration—Farm Security AdministrationThe River, film by Pare Lorentz Produced by the Works Progress Administration—Farm Security AdministrationThe Spanish Earth, film by Joris Ivens and Ernest Hemingway A montage of recorded Spanish folk music made in collaboration with Marc BlitzsteinTuesday in November, a U.S. Office of War Information film by John Berry Louisiana Story, film by Robert Flaherty The Goddess La Deesse, film written by Paddy Chayevsky, directed by John Cromwell Power Among Men, produced by the United Nations film unit Journey to America, a film for the U.S. Pavilion at the New York World's Fair, produced and directed by John Houseman The Baby Maker, film by James Bridges Suddenly an Eagle, ABC News film

Incidental music

Le Droit de Varech accordion soloA Bride for the Unicorn male chorus, 3 perc.Macbeth chamber orchestra. Injunction Granted 4-person chamber group with 16 percussionistsHorse Eats Hat chamber orch. Hamlet 9 players Antony and Cleopatra oboe, 2 trumpets, 2 perc Androcles and the Lion not orchestrated The Trojan Women 6 players The Life of a Careful Man chamber orchestra & women's voices Oedipus Tyrannos flute, 2 horns, perc, male chorus King Lear 10 players The Grass Harp flute, harp, celeste, vln, vla, cello Ondine 8 players King John 2 horns, 2 trpts, 2 perc Measure for Measure 7 players & boy soprano Othello 8 players The Merchant of Venice 8 players and tenor solo Much Ado About Nothing 9 players and tenor solo Bertha trumpet solo

Orchestra

Two Sentimental Tangos ; orchestrated from the original piano versionSymphony on a Hymn Tune
  • Suite from The Plow That Broke the Plains
  • Suite from The River
  • Suite from Filling Station The John Mosher Waltzes ; orchestrated from the piano portrait of John Mosher Symphony No. 2 in C major
  • Eight Portraits for orchestra
  1. Bugles and Birds from piano portrait of Pablo Picasso
  2. Canons for Dorothy Thompson Portrait for Orchestra
  3. Fugue from piano portrait of Alexander Smallens
  4. The Mayor LaGuardia Waltzes Portrait for Orchestra
  5. Cantabile for Strings from the piano portrait of Nicholas de Chatelain
  6. Pastorale from piano portrait of Aaron Copland
  7. Percussion Piece from piano portrait of Jessie K. Lasell
  8. Tango Lullaby from piano portrait of Flavie Alvarez de ToledoMeditation orchestrated from piano portrait of Jere AbbottFugue and Chorale on Yankee Doodle from the film Tuesday in NovemberThree Pictures for Orchestra
  9. The Seine at Night
  10. Wheat Field at Noon
  11. Sea Piece with Birds Suite from Louisiana Story 'Pulitzer Prize 1949Acadian Songs and Dances from Louisiana Story At the Beach: Concert Waltz for Trumpet and Band Solemn Music for band later also for orchestra
  • Suite from The Mother of Us All
  • Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
  • Concerto for Flute, Strings, harp and Percussion: A Portrait of Roger Baker Eleven Chorale Preludes op. 122, by Johannes Brahms, orchestrated by Virgil Thomson The Lively Arts Fugue Fugues and Cantilenas from the United Nations film Power Among MenSolemn Music and a Joyful Fugue Pilgrims and Pioneers from the film Journey to AmericaAutumn: Concertino for Harp, Strings and Percussion Fantasy in Homage to an Earlier England Edges: A Portrait of Robert Indiana for band, orchestrated from piano originalStudy Piece: Portrait of a Lady for band, orchestrated from piano portrait of Louise CraneSymphony No. 3' orchestration of String Quartet No. 2Thoughts for Strings Eleven Portraits for Orchestra 11 piano portraits orchestrated by Thomson, Scott Wheeler and Rodney Lister
  1. A Love Scene
  2. Intensely Two: Karen Brown Waltuck
  3. Loyal, Steady Persistent: Noah Creshevsky
  4. Something of a Beauty: Anne-Marie Soullière
  5. David Dubal in Flight
  6. Scott Wheeler: Free-Wheeling
  7. Dennis Russel Davies: In a Hammock
  8. Richard Flender: Solid, Not Stolid
  9. Bill Katz: Wide Awake
  10. Sam Byers: With Joy
  11. Christopher Cox: Singing a Song Four Saints: An Olio for Chamber Orchestra A Pair of Portraits: ''A Double Take and Major Chords'' orchestrated from piano portraits of John Houseman and Anthony Tommasini

Vocal

  • Vernal Equinox voice, piano; text by Amy Lowell
  • The Sunflower voice, piano; text by William BlakeSusie Asado voice, piano; text by Gertrude SteinFive Phrases from "The Song of Solomon" for soprano and percussion; biblical text
  1. Thou That Dwellest in the Gardens
  2. Return, O Shulamite
  3. O, My Dove
  4. I am My Beloved's
  5. By Night The Tiger voice, piano; text by William BlakePresciosilla voice, piano; text by Gertrude SteinLa Valse Grégorienne medium voice, piano; text by Georges Hugnet
  6. Les Ecrevisses
  7. Grenadine
  8. La Rosée
  9. Le Wagon Immobile Le Berceau de Gertrude Stein, ou Le Mystere de la Rue de Fleurus voice, piano; eight poems by Georges Hugnet Trois Poemes de la Duchesse de Rohan voice, piano
  10. A son Altesse le Princesse Antoinette Murat
  11. Jour de chaleur aux bains de mer Commentaire sur Saint Jérome voice, piano Les Soirées Bagnolaises voice, piano Portrait of F. B. voice, piano Le Singe et le léopard voice, piano Oraison Funèbre de Henriette-Marie de France, Reine de la Grande-Bretagne voice, piano Air de Phèdre voice, piano Deux Soeurs qui ne sont pas soeurs voice, piano Stabat Mater ; arranged for voice and string orchestra from the original for voice and string quartet Chamber Music voice, piano La Belle en dormant voice, piano
  12. Pour chercher sur la carte des mers
  13. La Première de toutes
  14. Mon Amour es bon à dire
  15. Partis les vaisseaux Pigeons on the Grass Alas baritone, piano Go to Sleep, Alexander Smallens, Jr. voice unaccompaniedGo to Sleep, Pare McTaggett Lorentz voice unaccompaniedDirge voice, piano The Bugle Song mz-sop or baritone and piano Five Songs from William Blake baritone and orchestra; orchestrated from the original for baritone and piano
  16. The Divine Image
  17. Tiger! Tiger!
  18. The Land of Dreams
  19. The Little Black Boy
  20. And Did Those FeetConsider, Lord voice, piano Remember Adam's Fall voice, piano At the Spring Voice, piano The Bell Doth Toll voice, piano Look How the Floor of Heaven voice, piano If Thou A Reason Dost Desire to Know voice, piano John Peel voice, piano
  • Shakespeare Songs voice, piano
  1. Was This Fair Face the Cause?
  2. Take, O Take Those Lips Away
  3. Tell Me Where is Fancy Bred
  4. Pardon, Goddess of the Night
  5. Sigh No More, Ladies Tres Estmpas de Ninez voice, piano
  6. Todas las horas
  7. Son amigos de todos
  8. Nadie lo oye como ellos Mostly About Love voice, piano
  9. Love Song
  10. Down at the Docks
  11. Let's Take a Walk
  12. A Prayer to St. Catherine Collected Poems soprano, baritone and orch. Mass for Solo Voice ; Voice and orchestra
  • Praises and Prayers voice and piano
  1. from The Canticle of the Sun
  2. My Master Hath a Garden
  3. Sung by the Shepherd's
  4. Before Sleeping
  5. Jerusalem, My Happy Home Two by Marianne Moore
  6. English Usage
  7. My Crow Pluto The Feast of Love according to the poem Pervigilium Veneris for baritone and chamber orchestra From Byron's "Don Juan" for tenor and orchestra
  • from Sneden's Landing Variations voice, piano
  • The Courtship of Yongly Bongly Bo voice, piano
  • Go to Sleep, Gabriel Liebowitz voice unaccompanied
  • What Is It? voice, piano
  • The Cat soprano and baritone & piano

Choral

De Profundis for mixed chorusO My Deir Hert for mixed chorus; text by Martin LutherSanctus for men's chorusTribulationes Civitatum for mixed chorusThree Antiphonal Psalms for SA or TB chorus Agnus Dei for 3 equal voicesMissa Brevis for men's chorusFête Polonaise arranged from Chabrier for men's chorus & pianoBenedictus Sanctus Capital Capitals for TTBB & piano Saints' Procession for mixed chorus, mz-s, bass solos & piano Seven Choruses from the "Medea" of Euripides for women's chorus & percussion
  1. O gentle heart
  2. Love, like a leaf
  3. O, happy were our fathers
  4. Weep for the little lambs
  5. Go down, O Sun
  6. Behold, O Earth
  7. Immortal Zeus controls the fate of ManMass for Two-Part Chorus and Percussion My Shepherd Will Supply My Need Scenes from the Holy Infancy According to Saint Matthew for mixed chorus and men's solos The Bugle Song for unison children's chorus and piano Surrey Apple-Howler's Song children's chorusWelcome to the New Year for children's chorusHymns from the Old South for mixed chorus
  8. Death, 'Tis a Melancholy Day
  9. Green Fields
  10. The Morning Star Kyrie Eleison Never Another Song for the Stable for mixed chorusFour Songs to Poems of Thomas Campion mixed chorus, viola, clarinet and harp Tiger! Tiger! SATB chorus and piano Crossing Brooklyn Ferry to poems by Walt Whitman ; mixed chorus and orchestraMissa pro defunctis for mixed chorus and orchestraDance in Praise ; mixed chorus and orchestraThe Holly and the Ivy SATB chorus & pianoMy Master Hath a Garden for SATB chorus & pianoFive Auvergnat Folk Songs mixed chorus versions of 5 Joseph Canteloube songs
  11. La Pastoura als camps
  12. Bailèro
  13. Pastourelle
  14. La Fiolairé
  15. Passo pel prat When I Survey the Bright Celestial Sphere The Nativity As Sung By the Shepherds for mixed chorus, soloists & orch.How Will Ye Have Your Partridge Today? Round for 3 voicesA Hymn for Pratt Institute for mixed chorusCantata on Poems of Edward Lear for chorus, soloists & orch.
  16. The Owl and the Pussycat for soprano and baritone
  17. The Jumblies for soprano and chorus
  18. The Pelican Chorus for soprano, baritone and chorus
  19. Half an Alphabet for chorus
  20. The Akond of Swat for baritone and chorusThe Peace Place for mixed chorus and piano A Prayer to Venus for mixed chorus and pianoCantantes Eamus for men's chorus and pianoFanfare for Peace for chorus, brass & perc Southern Hymns for mixed chorus and piano
  21. "How Bright is the Day!"
  22. Mississippi "When Gabriel's Awful Trumpet Shall Sound"
  23. Death of General Washington
  24. Convention "How Firm a Foundation" for chorus from Caldwell's Union Harmony)

Keyboard

  • Prelude piano
  • Pastorale on a Christmas Plainsong organ
  • # Divinium Mysterium
  • # God Rest Ye Merry
  • # Picardy
  • Fanfare organ
  • Prelude organ
  • Passacaglia organ
  • Two Sentimental Tangos piano
  • Five Chorale-Preludes organ
  • # O, Sacred Head Now Wounded!
  • # The New-Born Babe
  • # The New-Born Babe
  • # The New-Born Babe
  • # Praise God, Ye Christians Ev'rywhereSynthetic Waltzes 2 pianos Five Two-Part Inventions piano Ten Easy Pieces and a Coda pianoVariations on Sunday School Tunes organ
  • # Come, Ye Disconsolate
  • # There's Not a Friend Like the Lowly Jesus
  • # Will There Be Any Stars in My Crown?
  • # Shall We Gather At the River?Piano Sonata No. 1 Piano Sonata No. 2 Piano Sonata No. 3 "on white keys"
  • Symphony No. 2 reduced from orchestra for piano, 4 handsSuite from "The Plow That Broke the Plains" reduced for orchestra for pianoFilling Station piano version of ballet scoreChurch Organ Wedding Music Piano Sonata No. 4: Guggenheim jeune Ten Etudes for Piano Nine Etudes for Piano Walking Song for piano ; also version for 2 pianos by Gold and FizdaleFor a Happy Occasion A Study in Stacked-Up Thirds Pange Lingua for organPastor Weems and the Cherry Tree piano version of the balletTheme for Improvisation for organ

Piano portraits

Travelling in Spain: Alice Woodfin Branlière Alternations: A Portrait of Maurice Grosser Catalan Waltz: A Portrait of Ramón Senabre Clair Leonard's profile Madame Dubost chez elle Pastoral: A Portrait of Jean Ozenne Russell Hitchcock, Reading Sea Coast: A Portrait of Constance Askew A Portrait of R. Kirk Askew Souvenir: A Portrait of Paul Bowles Ettie Stettheimer An Old Song: A Portrait of Carrie Stettheimer Tennis: A Portrait of Henry McBride The Hunt: A Portrait of A. Everett Austin, Jr. Hymn: A Portrait of Josiah Marvel The John Mosher Waltzes Prelude and Fugue: A Portrait of Miss Agnes Rindge Helen Austin at Home and Abroad Meditation: A Portrait of Jere Abbott Connecticut Waltz: A Portrait of Harold Lewis Cook A Day Dream: Portrait of Herbert Whiting Portrait of Claude Biais A French Boy of Ten: Louis Lange Maurice Bavoux: Young and Alone The Bard: A Portrait of Sherry Mangan In a Bird Cage: A Portrait of Lise Deharme With Trumpet and Horn: A Portrait of Louise Ardant Poltergeist: A Portrait of Hans Arp Fanfare for France: A Portrait of Max Kahn Barcarolle: A Portrait of Georges Hugnet Swiss Waltz: A Portrait of Sophie Tauber-Arp Eccentric Dance: Portrait of Madame Kristians Tonny Tango Lullaby: A Portrait of Mll. Alvarez de Toledo Invention: Theodate Johnson Busy and Resting Bugles and Birds: A Portrait of Pablo Picasso Piano Sonata No. 4: Portrait of Peggy Guggenheim Lullaby Which is Also a Spinning Song: A Portrait of Howard Putzel Five-Finger Exercise: A Portrait of Leon Kochnitzky The Dream World of Peter Rose-Pulham Dora Maar or the Presence of Pablo Picasso Pastoral: A Portrait of Tristan Tzara Aria: A Portrait of Germaine Hugnet Toccata: A Portrait of Mary Widney Awake or Asleep: Pierre Mabille Cantabile: A Portrait of Nicolas de Chatelain Duet: A Portrait of Clarita Comtesse de Forceville Stretching: A Portrait of Jamie Campbell Canons with Cadenza: A Portrait of André Ostier Fugue: A Portrait of Alexander Smallens With Fife and Drums: A Portrait of Mina Curtiss Insistences: A Portrait of Louise Crane Percussion Piece: A Portrait of Jessie K. Lasell Parades: A Portrait of Florine Stettheimer James Patrick Cannon, Professional Revolutionary Scottish Memories: Peter Monro Jack Prisoner of the Mind: Schuyler Watts Wedding Music: A Portrait of Jean Watts Aaron Copland, Persistently Pastoral Five-Finger Exercise: Portrait of Briggs Buchanan Solitude: A Portrait of Lou Harrison Chromatic Double Harmonies: Portrait of Sylvia Marlowe Homage to Marya Freund and to the Harp Edges: A Portrait of Robert Indiana For Eugene Ormandy's Birthday, 18 November 1969: A Study in Stacked-Up Thirds Man of Iron: A Portrait of Willy Eisenhart Bill Katz: Wide Awake Norma Flender: Thoughts about Flying Richard Flender: Solid Not Stolid Scott Wheeler: Free-Wheeling Gerald Busby: Giving Full Attention Noah Creshevsky: Loyal, Steady, Persistent Sam Byers: With Joy Morris Golde: Showing Delight Christopher Cox: Singing a Song Barbara Epstein: Untiring Dead Pan: Mrs. Betty Freeman John Wright, Drawing Franco Assetto, Drawing Round and Round: Dominique Mabokov Karen Brown Waltuck: Intensely Two Anne-Marie Soullière: Something of a Beauty Buffie Johnson: Drawing V.T. in Charcoal Craig Rutenberg: Swinging Paul Sanfacon: On the Ice Molly Davies: Terminations Dennis Russel Davies: In a Hammock Rodney Lister: Music for a Merry-Go-Round Doña Flor: Receiving Dr. Marcel Rochce: Making a Decision David Dubal in Flight Peter McWilliams: Firmly Spontaneous Vassilis Voglis: On the March Power Boothe: With Pencil Mark Beard: Never Alone Louis Rispoli: In a Boat Malitte Matta: In the Executive Style Glynn Boyd Harte: Reaching Senza Expressione: Bennett Lerner Phillip Ramey: Thinking Hard Charles, Fussell: In Meditation Brendan Lemon: A Study Piece for Piano John Houseman: No Changes Lines: for and about Ron Henggeler Boris Baranovic: Whirling Tony Tommasini: A Study in Chords Christopher Beach: Alone
  • ''Danyal Lawson: Playing''

Chamber ensemble

Sonata da Chiesa, for clarinet, trumpet, horn, trombone, violaPortraits for Violin Alone
  • # Señorita Juanita de Medina Accompanied by Her Mother
  • # Madame Marthe-Marthine
  • # Georges Hugnet, Poet and Man of Letters
  • # Miss Gertrude Stein as a Young Girl
  • # Cliquet-Pleyel in F
  • # Mrs. C.W.L.
  • # Sauguet, From Life
  • # Ruth Smallens Five Portraits for Four Clarinets for SSAB clarinets
  • # Portrait of Ladies: A Conversation
  • # Portrait of a Young Man in Good Health: Maurice Grosser with a Cold
  • # Christian Bérard, Prisoner
  • # Christian Bérard as a Soldier
  • # Christian Bérard in PersonLe Bains-Bar for Violin and Piano Sonata for Violin and Piano Portraits for Violin and Piano
  • # Alice Tolkas
  • # Mary Reynolds
  • # Anne Miracle
  • # Yvonne de Casa Fuerte String Quartet No. 1 Serenade for Flute and Violin String Quartet No. 2 Four Portraits, for cello and piano arranged in 1942 by Luigi Silva:
  • # Bugles and Birds '
  • # Tango Lullaby '
  • # In a Bird Cage '
  • # Fanfare for France ' Sonata for Flute Alone Barcarolles for Woodwinds for flute, oboe, English Horn, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Bassoon Fanfare for France orchestrated for brass and percussion from piano portrait of Max Kahn Sonorous and Exquisite Corpses written collaboratively by John Cage, Henry Cowell, Lou Harrison and Virgil Thomson; orchestrated 1982 by Robert Hughes for flute/piccolo, clarinet, horn, bassoon, & piano and published as Party Pieces.
  1. Vivace
  2. Adagio
  3. Grazioso
  4. Allegretto
  5. Slowly, yet flowing
  6. Flowing-broad
  7. Allegro
  8. Majestic-broad
  9. Vivo
  10. Flowing-rubato
  11. Waltz tempo
  12. Flowing
  13. Allegro
  14. A slow, walking tempo
  15. Maestoso, ma teneramente
  16. Allegro preciso
  17. March tempo
  18. Pastoral-softly-legato
  19. A slow 2-walking tempo
  20. Allegro At the Beach Concert Waltz for trumpet and band Four Songs to Poems of Thomas Campion mezzo-soprano, clarinet, viola and harp Lamentations, Etude for Accordion Variations for Koto Ode to the Wonders of Nature for brass and percussionEtude for Cello and Piano, a Portrait of Frederic James Metropolitan Museum Fanfare: Portrait of An American Artist orchestrated for brass and percussion from piano portrait of Florine StettheimerFamily Portrait for brass quintet
  21. A Fanfare: Robin Smith
  22. At Fourteen: Anne Barnard
  23. Digging: A Portrait of Howard Rea
  24. A Scherzo: Priscilla Rea
  25. Man of Iron: Willy Eisenhart A Short Fanfare for 3 trumpets and 2 side drumsBell Piece for carillon Cynthia Kemper A Fanfare for violin & piano Lili Hastings violin and pianoA Portrait of Two for oboe, bassoon & pianoJay Rosen for tuba and pianoStockton Fanfare for 3 trumpets and 2 side drums