June 5, 1848:
William Thomson (later Lord Kelvin) reads his paper “On an Absolute Thermometric Scale…” to the Cambridge Philosophical Society.
November 25, 1896:
Virgil Garnett Thomson is born in an apartment on East Tenth Street and Virginia Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, third of three children born to Quincy Alfred Thomson, a cable-car conductor, and Clara May Gaines, daughter of a real estate investor.
November 25, 1913:
For his 17th birthday, Virgil Thomson receives a copy of Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis. It comes from his homosexual and musical mentor, Robert Leigh Murray. He will keep it for the rest of his life.
March 5, 1917:
Virgil Thomson (20) joins a field artillery regiment of the Missouri National Guard at Independence.
August 6, 1917:
Having been discharged from the Missouri National Guard, Virgil Thomson (20) enlists in the regular army, in the 129th artillery, a regiment that includes Captain Harry S. Truman.
January 21, 1918:
Private Virgil Thomson (21) is transferred from a medical unit to the School of Military Aeronautics in Austin, Texas.
April 22, 1918:
Private Virgil Thomson (21) arrives in New York to attend the Army Air Service school for radio officers at Columbia University.
June 21, 1921:
The members of the Harvard Glee Club, including Virgil Thomson (24), disembark in Le Havre and are greeted at the Town Hall by cheering crowds and an official ceremony of welcome. They take the night train for Paris.
June 26, 1921:
The Conservatoire americain opens at Fontainebleau. Nadia Boulanger (33) is among the faculty. The first to enroll is Aaron Copland (20). Present for the opening is the Harvard Glee Club including Virgil Thomson (24).
June 27, 1921:
The Harvard Glee Club, including Virgil Thomson (24), gives a very successful concert in Paris.
February 8, 1922:
A review written from Paris by Virgil Thomson (25) entitled “Kusevitsky, Conductor-The Risen Russian Suggested for Boston” runs in the Boston Evening Transcript. It is credited for securing the position of conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra for Serge Koussevitzky.
May 31, 1922:
Virgil Thomson (26) is informed that he will not be receiving honors when he graduates from Harvard University. He is told that “...your work was so mediocre in harmony, counterpoint and fugue that on the evidence submitted no other verdict was possible.”
September 1, 1925:
Virgil Thomson (28) sails for France, seeking to escape the stifling professional atmosphere in the United States.
December 24, 1925:
Virgil Thomson (29) and Maurice Grosser, an aspiring artist, move into an apartment in St. Cloud, Paris. This will be Thomson’s most important relationship.
May 5, 1926:
New works by Americans are performed for the first time in a concert sponsored by the US ambassador Myron T. Herrick at the Salle des Concerts, Maison Gaveau, Paris: Two Pieces for violin and piano by Aaron Copland (25), the composer at the keyboard, Piano Sonata by Walter Piston (32), and the Sonata da chiesa for Eb clarinet, D trumpet, viola, horn, and trombone by Virgil Thomson (29).
July 2, 1926:
Five Phrases from The Song of Solomon for soprano and percussion by Virgil Thomson (29) is performed for the first time, at the home of Mrs. Christian Gross, in Paris. See 22 April 1928.
January 1, 1927:
Virgil Thomson (30) presents Gertrude Stein with a setting of her Susie Asado. “I like its looks immensely,” she remarks.
March 26, 1927:
Gertrude Stein reports to Virgil Thomson (30) that she has “begun Beginning of Studies for an opera to be sung.” This will eventually become Four Saints in Three Acts.
November 1, 1927:
Virgil Thomson (30) moves into a studio in the quai Voltaire, Paris. Tomorrow he will begin composing Four Saints in Three Acts.
April 22, 1928:
The first of the Copland-Sessions concerts of Contemporary Music takes place at the Edyth Totten Theatre, New York, featuring premieres of works by Carlos Chávez (28) and Virgil Thomson (31) including Piano Sonata no.3, Sonatina for violin and piano, Sonatina for cello and piano, and the Piano Sonatina by Chávez, the composer at the keyboard, and Thomson’s Five Phrases from the Song of Solomon for soprano and percussion (first public performance). In Thomson’s work, Aaron Copland (27) plays percussion. Thomson is presently in Paris. Roger Sessions (31) is in Northampton, Massachusetts finishing the Piano Sonata that was intended for this concert. See 2 July 1926.
May 30, 1928:
Capital Capitals for four male vocal soloists and piano by Virgil Thomson (31) to words of Stein, is performed for the first time, at the Nouvelle Salle d’orgue du Conservatoire, Paris. Present are Stein and Alice B. Toklas, Nadia Boulanger (40), Darius Milhaud (35), Roy Harris (30), and Jean Cocteau. Press reactions are mixed.
November 14, 1928:
Portraits for Violin Alone by Virgil Thomson (31) is performed for the first time, in the Salle Majestic, Paris.
February 15, 1929:
Virgil Thomson (32) sings through Four Saints in Three Acts in the Manhattan apartment of Carl Van Vechten before a small contingent of invited, influential guests. Reaction is mixed.
March 29, 1929:
After three months in the United States, Virgil Thomson (32) boards the Île de France in New York to return to Paris.
June 17, 1929:
A concert entitled “Concert d’Oeuvres de Jeunes Compositeurs Américains”, organized by Aaron Copland (28) and Nadia Boulanger (41), takes place at the Salle Chopin, Paris. Featured on the program are works by Copland, Carlos Chávez (30), and Roy Harris (31). Several works for voice and piano by Virgil Thomson (32) are performed for the first time, the composer at the piano: Susie Asado, La Seine, and the cycle Preciosilla, all to words of Stein, Le Berceau de Gertrude Stein, ou La Mystère de la Rue de Fleurus and the cycle La Valse grégorienne, both to words of Hugnet.
January 24, 1931:
Sonata for violin and piano by Virgil Thomson (34) is performed for the first time, in the Salle des Conferences du Parthénon, Paris the composer at the keyboard.
June 15, 1931:
Two new works by Virgil Thomson (34) are performed for the first time in the Salle Chopin, Paris: Stabat mater for soprano and string quartet to words of Jacob, and String Quartet no.1.
April 14, 1933:
String Quartet no.2 by Virgil Thomson (36) is performed for the first time, at the home of Philip Johnson in New York.
June 23, 1933:
Gertrude Stein and Virgil Thomson (36) sign contracts for the production of Four Saints in Three Acts. They have decided to share the profits equally.
February 8, 1934:
Four Saints in Three Acts, an opera by Virgil Thomson (37) to words of Stein, is performed for the first time, at the Avery Memorial Hall, Hartford, Connecticut. The opera is directed by John Houseman and choreographed by Frederick Ashton. Artists and the elite society of New York, Boston, and Hartford are there, including Buckminster Fuller, Isamu Noguchi, Clare Booth Luce, Philip Johnson, Carl Van Vechten, and Mrs. Averell Harriman. It is a glittering, smashing success and assures an upcoming production on Broadway. See 20 February 1934.
February 20, 1934:
Four Saints in Three Acts, an opera by Virgil Thomson (37) to words of Stein, opens in the 44th Street Theatre in New York. Two days before the opening the New York fire marshal condemns the set. Producers respond by coating the entire set with a flame retardant chemical. Reluctantly, the fire marshal allows the production to proceed. It is the hit of the Broadway season. The press runs from confusion to euphoria. George Gershwin (35) is in the audience. He finds the music “entertaining” but is not impressed by the libretto. See 8 February 1934.
May 19, 1934:
After his success on Broadway with Four Saints in Three Acts, Virgil Thomson (37) boards ship in New York to return to Paris.
December 15, 1934:
The first public performance of String Quartet no.2 by Virgil Thomson (38) takes place in Avery Auditorium, Hartford, Connecticut. See 14 April 1933.
April 10, 1935:
Mass for Two-Part Chorus and Percussion by Virgil Thomson (38) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.
November 13, 1935:
Serenade for flute and violin by Virgil Thomson (38) is performed for the first time, at the Midtown Community Music Center, New York. This concert is a production of the New York City Composers’ Forum Laboratory of the Federal Music Project.
April 10, 1936:
A production of Shakespeare’s play Macbeth directed by Orson Welles and produced by John Houseman is performed for the first time, in the Lafayette Theatre in Harlem. The music is provided by and directed by Virgil Thomson (39) but includes no original compositions.
May 25, 1936:
The Plow That Broke the Plains, a film with music by Virgil Thomson (39), is shown for the first time, in New York. It was commissioned by the Resettlement Administration. See 2 January 1943.
July 11, 1937:
The Spanish Earth, a film with music arranged by Virgil Thomson (40) and Marc Blitzstein (32), is shown for the first time, in Hollywood. See 20 August 1937
August 20, 1937:
The Spanish Earth, a film with music arranged by Virgil Thomson (40) and Marc Blitzstein (32), is officially premiered at the 55th Street Playhouse, New York. See 11 July 1937.
October 13, 1937:
Incidental music to Shakespeare’s play Antony and Cleopatra by Virgil Thomson (40) is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York.
October 29, 1937:
The River, a film with music by Virgil Thomson (40), is shown for the first time, in the Strand Theatre, New Orleans. It was commissioned by the Resettlement Administration. See 2 January 1943.
December 12, 1937:
Scenes from the Holy Infancy According to St. Matthew, for tenor, baritone, bass, and chorus by Virgil Thomson (41), is performed for the first time, at the 46th Street Theatre, New York.
December 19, 1937:
48 composers meet in New York to form the American Composers Alliance “to regularize and collect all fees pertaining to the performance of copyrighted music.” A temporary executive committee is appointed, including Wallingford Riegger (52), Virgil Thomson (41), Roger Sessions (40), Roy Harris (39), and Aaron Copland (37).
January 6, 1938:
Virgil Thomson’s (41) ballet Filling Station, with a scenario by Christensen, is performed for the first time, in the Avery Memorial Theatre, Hartford, Connecticut. The music is played in piano reduction. See 18 February 1938.
February 18, 1938:
Filling Station, a ballet by Virgil Thomson (41) to a scenario by Christensen, is performed for the first time in its orchestral arrangement, in New York. See 6 January 1938.
March 20, 1939:
Virgil Thomson (42) writes to Aaron Copland (38) calling Copland’s new book What to Listen for in Music “a bore.” See 1 May 1939.
May 1, 1939:
Aaron Copland (38) answers Virgil Thomson’s (42) letter of 20 March saying “I enjoyed reading your strictures on the book more than much of the praise it has had.”
August 12, 1940:
After travelling through occupied France, Spain, and Portugal, Virgil Thomson (43) boards a ship in Lisbon, bound for the United States.
October 10, 1940:
Virgil Thomson (43) is hired as music critic for the New York Herald Tribune.
December 9, 1940:
Incidental music to Euripedes’ (tr. Hamilton) play The Trojan Women by Virgil Thomson (44) is performed for the first time, in a radio broadcast.
February 2, 1941:
An orchestral suite from the ballet Filling Station by Virgil Thomson (44) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of radio station WNYC, New York. See 6 January 1938.
February 23, 1941:
Virgil Thomson (44) writing in the New York Herald Tribune, attacks Kurt Weill (40) and Lady in the Dark saying, “It smells of Hollywood. It is hokum, like Louise, sincere hokum. If it really touches you, you go all to pieces inside. If not, it is still something anyway, though not so much...Mr. Weill seems to have a great facility for writing banal music and the shamelessness to emphasize its banality with the most emphatically banal instrumentation.”
November 17, 1941:
Symphony no.2 by Virgil Thomson (44) is performed for the first time, in the Music Hall, Seattle. See 5 July 1975.
March 14, 1942:
Virgil Thomson (45) is arrested by the FBI in a raid on a gay bordello in Brooklyn. Through the efforts of his boss at the New York Herald Tribune, Geoffrey Parsons, Thomson is bailed out and the event is kept out of the newspapers.
May 14, 1942:
Two new works by American composers are performed for the first time, in Cincinnati: Lincoln Portrait for speaker and orchestra by Aaron Copland (41) and The Mayor LaGuardia Waltzes for orchestra by Virgil Thomson (45).
July 23, 1942:
Virgil Thomson’s (45) Canons for Dorothy Thomson for orchestra is performed for the first time, in Lewisohn Stadium, New York.
October 18, 1942:
In his review of the Symphony no.7 by Dmitri Shostakovich (36), Virgil Thomson (45) calls the music “unoriginal and shallow.”
December 16, 1942:
Seven Choruses from the Medea of Euripedes (tr. Cullen) by Virgil Thomson (46) is performed for the first time, in the Hotel Plaza Ballroom, New York.
January 2, 1943:
An orchestral suite from Virgil Thomson’s (46) music to the film The Plow That Broke the Plains is performed for the first time, at the Philadelphia Academy of Music conducted by the composer. See 25 May 1936.
January 5, 1943:
Four “portraits” for cello and piano by Virgil Thomson (46) are performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York: In a Bird Cage: A Portrait of Lise Deharme, Fanfare for France: A Portrait of Max Kahn, Tango Lullaby: A Portrait of Mlle (Flavie) Alvarez de Toledo, and Bugles and Birds: A Portrait of Pablo Picasso.
January 12, 1943:
An orchestral suite from Virgil Thomson’s (46) music to the film The River is performed for the first time, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
January 15, 1943:
The ninth of 18 patriotic fanfares for brass and percussion commissioned by Eugene Goossens and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, A Fanfare for France by Virgil Thomson (46), is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati. See 5 January 1943.
November 17, 1944:
Virgil Thomson’s (47) orchestral suite Portraits is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia, conducted by the composer. The portraits included are: Bugles and Birds (Pablo Picasso), Cantabile for Strings (Nicolas de Chatelain), Fugue (Alexander Smallens), Percussion Piece (Jessie K. Lassel), and Tango Lullaby (Mlle Flavie Alvarez de Toledo).
January 22, 1945:
A review of yesterday’s concert of music by John Cage (32) by Virgil Thomson (48) appears in the New York Herald Tribune. Thomson is effusive in his praise, calling Cage a genius. “His work represents...not only the most advanced methods now in use anywhere, but original expression of the very highest poetic quality.”
February 22, 1945:
Symphony on a Hymn Tune by Virgil Thomson (48) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York the composer conducting. Critics are generally disappointed.
March 15, 1945:
Pastorale for orchestra by Virgil Thomson (48) is performed for the first time, in the New York Center for Music and Dance, conducted by the composer.
November 27, 1945:
Ten etudes for piano by Virgil Thomson (49) are performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.
March 12, 1946:
Barcarolle: A Portrait of Georges Hugnet for violin and piano by Virgil Thomson (49) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York. See 29 November 1946.
March 16, 1946:
Gertrude Stein sends the libretto of The Mother of Us All to Virgil Thomson (49).
July 28, 1946:
In the Trieste railroad station, Virgil Thomson (49) reads in the Paris edition of the New York Herald Tribune of the death of Gertrude Stein.
November 29, 1946:
Barcarolle for woodwinds by Virgil Thomson (50) is performed for the first time, in Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, under the direction of the composer. See 12 March 1946.
November 20, 1947:
Virgil Thomson (50) writes a letter declining to sign a petition in support of the composer Hanns Eisler (49), presently being charged with concealing membership in the Communist Party.
December 29, 1947:
Virgil Thomson (51) is elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters in New York.
February 24, 1948:
Virgil Thomson’s (51) orchestral work The Seine at Night is performed for the first time, in the Music Hall, Kansas City, Missouri.
August 22, 1948:
Louisiana Story, a film with music by Virgil Thomson (51), is shown for the first time, in the Cally Picture House, Edinburgh, Scotland. See 2 May 1949.
September 28, 1948:
Louisiana Story, a film with music by Virgil Thomson (51), is released in the United States.
November 21, 1948:
Virgil Thomson’s (51) Meditation for orchestra is performed for the first time, in the Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver.
November 26, 1948:
An orchestral suite from music to the film Louisiana Story by Virgil Thomson (52) is performed for the first time, in the Philadelphia Academy of Music. See 22 August 1948 and 2 May 1949.
December 7, 1948:
Wheat Field at Noon for orchestra by Virgil Thomson (52) is performed for the first time, in the Columbia Auditorium, Louisville, Kentucky.
February 19, 1949:
At the Beach for trumpet and piano by Virgil Thomson (52) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.
May 2, 1949:
Virgil Thomson (52) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Louisiana Story. See 22 August 1948 and 26 November 1948.
June 17, 1949:
A Solemn Music for band by Virgil Thomson (52) is performed for the first time, in Central Park, New York.
September 11, 1949:
In Virgil Thomson’s (52) column in the New York Herald-Tribune, Arnold Schoenberg (74) states that Aaron Copland (48) has made “malicious statements” about him, comparing Copland with Stalin. Ironically, Copland is simultaneously composing his Piano Quartet, his first to employ serial techniques.
September 25, 1949:
Aaron Copland’s (48) response to Arnold Schoenberg’s (75) letter published 11 September appears in the New York Herald-Tribune. He denies he ever tried to suppress Schoenberg’s music and heaps praise upon him. Copland then chides Virgil Thomson (52) for defending him so weakly.
January 17, 1950:
An orchestral suite from Virgil Thomson’s (53) opera The Mother of Us All is performed for the first time, in the Bijou Theatre, Knoxville, Tennessee the composer conducting.
March 24, 1950:
Concerto for cello and orchestra by Virgil Thomson (53) is performed for the first time, at the Philadelphia Academy of Music.
July 21, 1950:
At the Beach for trumpet and band by Virgil Thomson (53) is performed for the first time, in New York.
January 11, 1951:
Arcadian Songs and Dances from “Louisiana Story” for orchestra by Virgil Thomson (54) is performed for the first time, at the Philadelphia Academy of Music.
February 6, 1952:
Five Songs from William Blake for baritone and orchestra by Virgil Thomson (55) is performed for the first time, in Louisville.
February 11, 1952:
Four Songs to Poems of Thomas Campion for mezzo-soprano, clarinet, viola, and harp by Virgil Thomson (55) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.
October 1, 1952:
The Harvest According, a ballet by Virgil Thomson (55) to a scenario by De Mille, is performed for the first time, in the Metropolitan Opera House, New York the composer conducting.
December 10, 1952:
Sea Piece With Birds for orchestra by Virgil Thomson (56) is performed for the first time, in McFarlin Memorial Auditorium, Dallas.
February 19, 1953:
US Secretary of State John Foster Dulles orders the removal from International Information Administration libraries and Voice of America broadcasts, any music by a communist or communist sympathizer. These include works by Aaron Copland (52), George Gershwin (†15), Roger Sessions (56), Virgil Thomson (56), Roy Harris (55), and Leonard Bernstein (34).
October 18, 1953:
Incidental music to Shakespeare's play King Lear by Virgil Thomson (56) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of CBS television. The production is by Orson Welles and Peter Brook.
February 18, 1954:
Incidental music to Giraudoux’s play Ondine by Virgil Thomson (57) is performed for the first time, in the 46th Street Theatre, New York.
September 14, 1954:
Concerto for flute, strings, harp, and percussion by Virgil Thomson (57) is performed for the first time, in Venice.
October 1, 1954:
Virgil Thomson (57) resigns from his position at the New York Herald Tribune.
March 16, 1957:
Joaquín Rodrigo (55) and his wife arrive in Caracas for the second Latin American Music Festival. Also attending are Virgil Thomson (60) and Aaron Copland (56).
March 25, 1957:
Eleven Chorale Preludes for organ by Virgil Thomson (60) are performed for the first time, in New Orleans.
April 26, 1958:
Crossing Brooklyn Ferry for chorus and piano by Virgil Thomson (61), to words of Whitman, is performed for the first time, in Brooklyn.
June 24, 1958:
The Goddess, a film with music by Virgil Thomson (61), is shown for the first time, in New York.
March 5, 1959:
Power Among Men, a film with music by Virgil Thomson (62), is performed for the first time, at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
May 2, 1959:
Fugues and Cantilenas for orchestra by Virgil Thomson (62) is performed for the first time, in Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, the composer conducting.
November 16, 1959:
Four Songs by Virgil Thomson (62) are performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York, the composer at the piano: The Holly and the Ivy to traditional words, Remember Adam’s Fall to anonymous 15th century words, At the Spring to words of Fisher, and Look, How the Floor of Heaven to words of Shakespeare.
April 3, 1960:
Mostly About Love, four songs for voice and piano by Virgil Thomson (63) to words of Koch, is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York. Also premiered are eight songs by Ned Rorem (36) to words of Roethke: Orchids, I Strolled Across an Open Field, The Waking, Root Cellar, Snake, Night Crow, Memory, and My Papa’s Waltz.
May 14, 1960:
Virgil Thomson’s (63) Missa pro defunctis for male chorus, female chorus, and orchestra is performed for the first time, at the State University College of Education, Potsdam, New York, under the baton of the composer.
October 3, 1960:
Mass for Solo Voice with piano accompaniment by Virgil Thomson (63) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York. See 20 May 1974.
November 13, 1961:
Pablo Casals gives a recital at the White House before President and Mrs. Kennedy and 200 invited guests. Among those attending are the elite of the musical culture of the United States: Walter Piston (67), Howard Hanson (65), Virgil Thomson (64), Roger Sessions (64), Henry Cowell (64), Roy Harris (63), Aaron Copland (60), Elliott Carter (52), Samuel Barber (51), William Schuman (51), Alan Hovhaness (50), Gian Carlo Menotti (50), Norman Dello Joio (48), Leonard Bernstein (43), Eugene Ormandy, and Leopold Stokowski. The concert is recorded and will be televised. Bernstein will recall “I’ve never seen so many happy artists in my life.”
December 14, 1961:
Collected Poems for soprano, baritone, and piano by Virgil Thomson (65) to words of Koch, are performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.
February 15, 1962:
A Solemn Music for orchestra by Virgil Thomson (65) is performed for the first time, in New York, conducted by Nadia Boulanger (74).
December 15, 1962:
New works for organ are performed for the first time, at the dedication of the Aeolian-Skinner organ in Philharmonic Hall (Avery Fisher Hall), New York: Pange lingua by Virgil Thomson (66), Hymn and Fuguing Tune no.14 for organ by Henry Cowell (65), and Shimah B’Koli op.89 for organ by Vincent Persichetti (47).
January 13, 1963:
Dance in Praise, for chorus and orchestra by Virgil Thomson (66) to the text Gaudeamus Igitur (tr. Symonds) in both Latin and English, is performed for the first time, at Goucher College, Baltimore.
February 1, 1963:
A Joyful Fugue for orchestra by Virgil Thomson (66) is performed for the first time, at the Philadelphia Academy of Music.
October 24, 1963:
Praises and Prayers, a cycle for voice and piano by Virgil Thomson (66) to words of various authors, is performed for the first time, in the Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York the composer at the piano.
January 13, 1964:
Three new songs are performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York: Préparatif à la mort en allégorie maritime by Darius Milhaud (71), My Crow Pluto for voice and piano by Virgil Thomson (67) to words of Moore, and For Poulenc by Ned Rorem (40) to words of O’Hara.
October 19, 1964:
Autumn: Concertino for harp, strings, and percussion by Virgil Thomson (67) is performed for the first time, in Madrid. Also premiered is Capriccio for harp and strings by Walter Piston (70).
November 1, 1964:
Two new works are performed for the first time, in Coolidge Auditorium, Library of Congress, Washington: Bomarzo, a cantata by Alberto Ginastera (48) to words of Mujica Láinez, and The Feast of Love for baritone and orchestra by Virgil Thomson (67) from Pervigilium veneris (tr. Thomson).
September 16, 1965:
Ode to the Wonder of Nature for brass and percussion by Virgil Thomson (68) is performed for the first time, in the Smithsonian Institute, Washington.
May 27, 1966:
Fantasy in Homage to an Earlier England for orchestra by Virgil Thomson (69) is performed for the first time, in the Music Hall, Kansas City, Missouri.
May 7, 1967:
The Nativity as Sung By Shepherds for alto, tenor, bass, chorus, and orchestra by Virgil Thomson (70) to words of Crashaw, is performed for the first time, in the Rockefeller Chapel, University of Chicago.
April 11, 1968:
From Byron’s “Don Juan” for tenor and orchestra by Virgil Thomson (71) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.
April 9, 1969:
A tryout of four scenes from Virgil Thomson’s (72) new opera Lord Byron takes place in a rehearsal room of the Metropolitan Opera in New York before more than 100 invited guests. The performance goes well and is well received. See 14 April 1969.
April 14, 1969:
Virgil Thomson (72) receives a letter from Rudolf Bing, general manager of the Metropolitan Opera, New York. Bing tells him that Lord Byron is not appropriate for his house, and will not be performed there in the foreseeable future. See 9 April 1969.
April 16, 1969:
Virgil Thomson’s (72) Fugue and Chorale on Yankee Doodle for orchestra is performed for the first time, in Glenn Memorial Auditorium, Emory University, Atlanta.
October 16, 1969:
Metropolitan Museum Fanfare: Portrait of an American Artist for brass and percussion by Virgil Thomson (72) is performed for the first time, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, conducted by the composer.
November 6, 1969:
Two arias from Virgil Thomson’s (72) unperformed opera Lord Byron are performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York. See 20 April 1972.
February 27, 1971:
Pilgrims and Pioneers for orchestra by Virgil Thomson (74) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.
April 20, 1972:
Lord Byron, an opera by Virgil Thomson (75) to words of Larson, is performed for the first time, in the Juilliard Theatre, New York. After being rejected by its commissioner, the Metropolitan Opera, the director of the Juilliard School, Peter Mennin (48), offers the venue to Thomson. The director is John Houseman, who leads the school’s theatre department. Reviews are strongly mixed. See 14 April 1969.
April 26, 1972:
Three vocal works with words by Frank O’Hara are performed for the first time, in the Whitney Museum, New York: From “Sneden’s Landing Variations” for voice and piano by Virgil Thomson (75), I Will Always Love You, a song by Ned Rorem (48), and Three Airs for Frank O’Hara’s Angel for speaker, soprano, female chorus, four instruments, and tape ad lib by Lukas Foss (49).
November 18, 1973:
Cantata on Poems of Edward Lear for soprano, baritone, chorus, and piano by Virgil Thomson (76) is performed for the first time, in the Fine Arts Building Concert Hall, Towson State University, Towson, Maryland the composer conducting.
May 20, 1974:
Mass for Solo Voice by Virgil Thomson (77) accompanied by orchestra is performed for the first time, at York Arts Center, York, England. See 3 October 1960.
March 24, 1975:
Family Portrait for brass quintet by Virgil Thomson (78) is performed for the first time, in the Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.
April 28, 1975:
The Courtship of Yongly Bongly Bo for voice and piano by Virgil Thomson (78) to words of Lear is performed for the first time, in the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church Chapel, New York.
July 5, 1975:
Fourth of July, 1900 (later retitled Hurray), a ballet to Virgil Thomson’s (78) Symphony no.2, is performed for the first time, at the Blossom Music Center, Cleveland. See 17 November 1941.
November 1, 1975:
Parson Weems and the Cherry Tree, a ballet by Virgil Thomson (78) to a scenario by Hawkins, is performed for the first time, in the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
December 26, 1976:
Symphony no.3 by Virgil Thomson (80) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.
September 30, 1980:
The Peace Place for chorus and piano by Virgil Thomson (83) to words of Larson, is performed for the first time, in New York.
September 30, 1981:
Reprising his 1966 performance, Aaron Copland (80) appears as the Narrator in a production of Igor Stravinsky’s (†10) L’histoire du soldat at the Whitney Museum. Roger Sessions (84) plays the part of the soldier and appearing as the Devil is Virgil Thomson (84).
October 4, 1981:
Two works for piano by Virgil Thomson (84) are performed for the first time, at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut: Richard Flender: Solid Not Stolid and Scott Wheeler: Free-Wheeling .
October 9, 1983:
Lili Hastings for violin and piano by Virgil Thomson (86) is performed for the first time, at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut.
August 9, 1989:
Virgil Thomson (92) is awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Bush at the White House.
September 10, 1989:
Music With Words: A Composer's View by Virgil Thomson (92) is published by Yale University Press.
September 30, 1989:
Virgil Garnett Thomson dies at his home, Suite 920 of the Hotel Chelsea, 222 West 23rd Street in New York, of “General Failure”, aged 92 years, ten months, and five days.
November 4, 1989:
The ashes of the earthly remains of Virgil Thomson are interred in the family plot in Rehoboth Cemetery in Slater, Missouri.
November 25, 1989:
A service in memory of Virgil Thomson takes place in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York on what would have been his 93rd birthday. The cathedral is nearly full.
October 29, 1996:
Opposites Attract (Portrait of Virgil Thomson) for piano by David Del Tredici (59) is performed for the first time, at the New School, New York by the composer to celebrate the centennial of Virgil Thomson (†7).