Poor Virgil Thomson. The famous, award-winning composer -- he lived from 1896 to 1989 -- from midtown Kansas City hardly gets any respect in his home town and to add insult to injury, a new musical play about him in New York City just got a bad review in the New York Times.
It's not Virgil's fault that the show got panned -- it's the show! Virgil Thomson, who was as respected for his "incisive wit" and writing talents as
his musical compositions, is apparently not well-served by "Oh Virgil!
A Theatrical Portrait" by the creators of the show. The Times
reviewer, Neil Genzlinger, writes that although the play bills itself
as a "snapshot of one of the most remarkable, influential and
controversial artists," there's a problem in translation: "But that guy
never shows up. Instead some sour, self-absorbed old dude plants
himself on the stage: you're tempted to go up there and heave him into
the wings to make way for that erudite, multi-talented fellow you've
heard so much about."
(Image via Flickr: Painting by Alice Neel)
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your observation is well taken. I blame Miss Stein and the Stettheimer girls. Just think of that extra P as some blighted form of logorific parataxis. These are sad times indeed.
there is only one thing worse than not being remembered. it's being misremembered. Virgil T gets it both ways. an undeniable presence on the international cultural scene for over a half a century for his criticism, compositional eloquence, and influence on a younger generation of creatives, "Virgil who?" is assuredly at the top of the list of those giants that we remember to forget. this truly is the United States of Amnesia!
woe is us
JH
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