Virgil Thomson books in order
American composer and critic
- Lived
- 1896–1989
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 8
Virgil Thomson published 3 non-fiction books, 1 play and 4 other books, beginning with The State of Music (1939). The best-known is A Virgil Thomson Reader (1981).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Virgil Thomson
Start here
A Virgil Thomson Reader
Virgil Thomson's most-read book.
Non-fiction in order
Virgil Thomson (1966)
Music Reviewed, 1940-1954 (1967)
A Virgil Thomson Reader (1981)
Plays in order
The Mother of Us All (1947)
Other books in order
The State of Music (1939)
The Musical Scene (1945)
Music, Right and Left (1951)
The Art of Judging Music (1968)
About Virgil Thomson
Virgil Thomson was an American composer and critic. He was instrumental in the development of the "American Sound" in classical music. He has been described as a modernist, a neoromantic, a neoclassicist, and a composer of "an Olympian blend of humanity and detachment" whose "expressive voice was always carefully muted" until his late opera Lord Byron which, in contrast to all his previous work, exhibited an emotional content that rises to "moments of real passion".
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Virgil Thomson FAQ
- How many books has Virgil Thomson written?
- Virgil Thomson published 3 non-fiction books, 1 play and 4 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Virgil Thomson's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with A Virgil Thomson Reader.
- What is Virgil Thomson's last book?
- A Virgil Thomson Reader (1981).
- What is Virgil Thomson's most famous book?
- A Virgil Thomson Reader (1981) is Virgil Thomson's most widely read book.
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.