With its proximity to the cultural hub of New York City and its quieter suburban and rural landscapes, Connecticut was fertile ground for artists and writers in the period of Modernist movements between 1913 and 1979. Many of these cultural figures are well known through biographical and critical studies. Creative Places seeks to show how place played a significant role in creative work, and how in turn the artists and writers influenced communities in Connecticut.
Virgil Thompson
Music
1896 – 1989
- Biography/Description of Work
In 1934, Modernist composer Virgil Thompson created an opera project, “Four Saints in Three Acts,” which involved collaboration among Gertrude Stein as writer, John Houseman as director, and Frederick Ashton as choreographer. Stein’s modernist libretto perplexed the audience members, who were nevertheless charmed by the music, sets and the cast of black actors. The opera premiered at the Wadsworth Atheneum under Chick Austin who coordinated it with the opening of a Picasso show mounted in the new International-style Avery Court.
- Associated Resource(s)