Title : Thompson: Frostiana/ Testament of Freedom
Author : Thompson, Randall
Release Date : 19950620
Binding : Audio CD
Regular Price : $17.98
Amazon.com Price : $16.44
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Buyer Reviews : It is evident that the reason for purchasing and listening to this recording is not to hear the Manhattan Chamber Chorus or the skilled work of Richard Clark, but to have a record of, and an emotional experience with, what may be two of the most important American compositions written in the 20th century. Randall Thompson wrote both of these pieces under commission. 'Testament of Freedom' was written in 1939 for the University of Virginia Men's Glee Club and 'Frostiana' was written in 1959 for the bicentenial of the Township of Amherst, Massachusetts. Thompson wrote in Gstaad, Switzerland and it was there where he immersed himself in the text of each work. He is, without doubt, one of the most skilled crafters of setting text to music throughout all time. 'Testament of Freedom' and 'Frostiana' are two very different compositions and the reason for their commission is evident in their overall sound. Firstly, 'Testament' was written to inspire nationalism during a time when our country was on the brink of war. Thompson had a strong emotional connection with various areas of Central Europe and his compositions often reflected this. (His now famous 'Alleluia' was composed in five days only and a day after Hitler invaded Paris.)'Frostiana' was set to the texts of Robert Frost and though the two of them were in communication a great deal, it is not known to what degree Frost had input in this work. The selection of the poetry and the setting of the music to the text was completed in Switzerland and delivered to Amherst at the end of August in 1959. In looking upon the original scores, it can be seen that meticulous thought was placed into capturing the essence of each poem. Thompson managed this beautifully and at the premier of the piece the following October, Robert Frost stood at the end, after the choir had stopped but before the audience could reasct and said, 'May we hear that again please?' Both of these compositions are brilliant and deserve five stars when even nothing more than existing on paper. Clark's rendition of these works is admirable. There is great detail to the choral work, each and every entrandce begining with the same vowel; all releases occuring preciesly where Thompson put them. Despite the feeling that the choir was out of tune, I have not heard this ever. I have listened to this recording dozens of times and felt that any tiny blips within the recording and performance were nothing more than that. I am not one who favors a flawless digital recording, particularly with such rich material. Clark, his choir and orchestra, did a remarkable job at preserving and presenting both of these pieces. Given the fact that Thompson is, arguably, the finest American choral composer to have lived, it is a must to own this recording simply for archival purposes. the fact that the recording is a joy is a plus.
