"On Steady Advance..." An Investigation Into The Rhetorical Intent of The Testament of Freedom by Randall Thompson

This document will investigate the events and circumstances that shaped the music and message of Randall Thompson’s The Testament of Freedom. Evidence uncovered in this investigation will provide a more complete historical record regarding the intended message, or rhetorical intent of the work for future conductors, performers, and audiences. The Testament of Freedom was composed in honor of the two-hundredth anniversary of the birth of Thomas Jefferson, the Father of the University of Virginia. It was commissioned by the University of Virginia President’s Bicentennial Celebration Committee in the fall of 1941, just four months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The work premiered on April 13, 1943, the same day that President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C. In the intervening time between the initial commission of The Testament of Freedom and its premier, the confluence of world events led Randall Thompson to reshape, not just the original musical parameters of the commission, but the rhetorical intent of the work that ultimately resulted from that commission. This document will prove that knowledge and consideration of Randall Thompson’s rhetorical intent is imperative when assessing its moral value to society and consequently, its performance viability for future generations of conductors, performers, and audiences. The first chapter will explore the genesis of The Testament of Freedom up to its premier on April 13, 1943, the second chapter will consist of a selective sketch of the life Randall Thompson intended to emphasize the experiences in Thompson’s life that informed the rhetorical intent of The Testament of Freedom. The third chapter will examine the musical rhetoric within The Testament of Freedom to ascertain how Thompson crafted the music of the work to illustrate its rhetorical intent. Evidence will be presented within chapter three to show that Randall Thompson chose rhetorically significant models for both the structure and melodic material within the work. Chapter four’s conclusion will summarize these findings and identify the rhetorical intent of The Testament of Freedom.