Introduction

In an effort to share Yale’s educational resources with the greater public, the Yale School of Music released a number of podcasts from 2007 to 2011. Among those were three from Oral History of American Music at Yale’s Irving S. Gilmore Music Library that featured Aaron Copland, Charles Ives, and Virgil Thomson. These were adapted from material from the CD and book publication, Composers’ Voices from Ives to Ellington, co-authored by Vivian Perlis and Libby Van Cleve and published by Yale University Press. Those who knew Thomson frequently remarked about his wry wit and distinctive voice. With this podcast, the greater public can hear that voice for themselves.

About Oral History of American Music

OHAM’s Thomson holdings include twenty-one items: numerous audio interviews; a video interview filmed at the Chelsea Hotel; complete recordings of a course Thomson taught at Yale called “Words and Music"; and unedited recordings made by WGBH radio for a segment of “American Music Masters”. http://web.library.yale.edu/music/oham/about

Copyright statement: “Virgil Thomson: Excerpts from Historic Interviews” is derived from the CD material found in Composers’ Voices from Ives to Ellington, co-authored by Vivian Perlis and Libby Van Cleve. Perlis and Van Cleve own the copyright to the published material, and The Virgil Thomson Foundation owns the rights to Thomson’s voice. Permission is required from the copyright owners for any reproductions or publication of this material.