Randall Thompson's "Frostiana" was a commissioned work for the 200th anniversary of Amherst, Massachusetts, using texts by poet Robert Frost who lived there.
Composition History
Samuel Barber's "The Lovers" was a commission from the Girard Bank of Philadelphia, which provided funding for the arts and was inspired by Barber's idea to set Pablo Neruda's "Twenty Love Poems And A Song Of Despair" to music.
Composer Biography
Randall Thompson taught at Harvard and directed the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, where his students included famous figures like Leonard Bernstein and Samuel Barber.
Critical Reception
The success of the premiere of Samuel Barber's "The Lovers" in 1971 was particularly important for the composer, as he had previously faced heavy criticism for his opera "Anthony and Cleopatra."
Cultural Impact
Many of Randall Thompson's pieces are so popular in the US that most high school students can whistle or sing them, though in Europe, his Alleluia and the song "Choose Something Like A Star" are almost exclusively known.
Composer Biography
Randall Thompson, one of the most important American composers of the early 20th century, was also a highly respected music pedagogue.
Composition History
The Girard Bank initially objected to Samuel Barber's choice of Pablo Neruda's texts for "The Lovers" due to Neruda's association with the Chilean Communist Party, to which Barber famously retorted, 'My God! Don't you have love affairs in Philadelphia?'
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