Tom Godell replies to Jim Tobin: >>There is nothing subtle about the piece, for sure, and the harmony is >>basic. I wouldn't call the rhythm static, or the texts poorly set; >>rather, the former are designed to belt out the latter. > >Oh, please! Let me cite just one example of poor text setting. Right at >the beginning of the Testament of Freedom, RT has the chorus sing: "The >god who gave us life gave us liberty... (then, after a pause) at the same >time..." When I first heard this, I thought that the words "At the same >time..." indicated the beginning of a new sentence. Thus, the meaning--not >to mention the dramatic impact--of Jefferson's powerful statement are lost. These things are elusive, to say the least. To me, that isolation is masterful, so far as allowing the words to be heard. I say this as an admirer of Thompson, but not of The Testament, which I find, except for the opening movement, melodically dull. As a professor of mine used to say, "Every composer has his dung heap." I suppose it's a question of how large a heap. Steve Schwartz