Randall Thompson, widely known for his choral music, also wrote three symphonies with stylistic traits similar to more famous works by Aaron Copland, Howard Hanson, and Roy Harris.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Randall Thompson stated that his Second Symphony is not based on any program, literary or spiritual, and is not cyclical, contrasting with the Barber symphony on this album.
Composition History
Randall Thompson's Second Symphony, which sounds similar to Aaron Copland's 'American' works, was actually finished before Copland entered that phase of his compositional career.
Compositional Technique
In Drift and Providence, Samuel Adams uses live digital processing of the orchestra to push its sound beyond normal limits, recreating ocean frequencies that are typically outside the orchestral range.
Compositional Technique
Samuel Adams's work Drift and Providence was created by digitally transforming recordings of the Pacific Ocean and then transcribing them for instruments to imitate the sound.
Critical Reception
Samuel Barber's First Symphony received a mixed reception at its 1936 premiere in Rome, with the composer noting "50 percent applause and 50 percent hissing."
Notable Performances
Less than six weeks after its Rome premiere, Samuel Barber's First Symphony had its American debut in Cleveland and became the first American work performed at the Salzburg Festival the following year.
