Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

“The Dean of American Composers”

· Copland’s early studies were in New York, but went to Paris to study with Nadia Boulanger in 1920

· Returned to America with determination to found “an American Sound” for music; for a while, that identity would be sought through Jazz. The French were fascinated with jazz; American students were encouraged in this by Nadia Boulanger

· Gershwin’s Concerto in F inspired Copland to write his own jazz Piano Concerto: (1926)

· In 1927 Milhaud pronounced jazz passé; cut short use of jazz for national identity

· Copland eventually turned to folk music and songs of the “old west.”

· In later 30’s, Copland started writing for broader audience. He turned to folk elements, wrote a series of works with North American or Latin American flavors: ballets: Rodeo (1942), Billy the Kid (1938), Appalachian Spring, orch suite El Salon Mexico (1936).

· This music was also consciously simpler than what he had written in 20’s and early 30’s, and written with a conscious attempt at popular appeal

· Appalacian Spring (1944) has Appalachian folk music, especially “Simple Gifts,” a Shaker melody.

· This music seems very simple, but actually uses ideas such as polytonality

· Simple Gifts melody is near end of ballet; Copland gives Variations; some unusual techniques: countermelody a 3rd below main melody

· Suggestions of quartal harmony (harmony using 4^ths instead of 3rds) especially near the end of the piece

· Rodeo (especially the “Hoe Down” portion) gets its Western feeling from square dance music details (open 5ths invoke fiddling tunes)

· After WWII, many composers became interested in 12-tone music developed by Schoenberg and Webern. After 1950, Copland turned to serialism e.g. Connotations (1961-2), a 12-tone serial work.