The plow that broke the plains The river
(DVD)

"The original Pare Lorentz films with newly recorded soundtracks of the classic scores by Virgil Thomson."

Program and biographical notes (7 p.) inserted in container.

Original sountrack option enables the original orchestration and narration for both films. Conductor, Alexander Smallens ; narrator, Thomas Chalmers.

Special features: George Stoney on The Plow and The River (15 min.) -- Stoney on the New Deal, The River, and race (6 min.) -- Charles Fussell on Virgil Thomson (18 min.) -- Virgil Thomson on Virgil Thomson (audio only) (8 min.) --The original ending of The Plow that Broke the Plains (4 min.) --The original beginning of The Plow that Broke the Plains (3 min.).

The plow that broke the Plains: photography, Ralph Steiner, Paul Ivano, Paul Strand, Leo T. Hurwitz ; music composed by Virgil Thompson ; film editor, Leo Zochling.

The river: photography, Floyd Crosby, Stacy Woodard, Williard Van Dyke ; music composed by Virgil Thomson ; film editors, Leo Zochling, Lloyd Nosler.

Narrator, Floyd King; soundtracks recreated by Post-Classical Ensemble, conductor, Angel Gil-Ord�o�nez; Joseph Horowitz, artistic director.

Soundtracks re-created June 11-12, 2005, at Omega Recording Studios, Rockville, MD.

The plow that broke the plains" depicts the social and economic history of the Great Plains from the settlement of the prairies by cattlemen and farmers through the World War I boom to drought and depression. "The river" traces life in the Mississippi River Valley during the previous 150 years, showing the consequences of sharecropping, soil exhaustion, unchecked erosion and floods, and concludes with scenes of regional planning, TVA development and federal efforts.

DVD, all-region; Dolby Digital stereo or surround, DTS Surround; NTSC.