Composer 3/52 – Aaron Copland

Returning to music, I arrive at one of my favorite composers: Aaron Copland. Copland was a 20th century American composer. His compositions were also used in movies, ballets, and plays. Towards the end of his career, his focus changed from composing to conducting. The common thread of his career was his desire to bring symphony music to the people. Like Walt Whitman, the everyman American poet, Copland was heavily involved with creating a uniquely American symphonic tradition. There are specifics about his career at the PBS American Masters site.

There are two pieces of Mr. Copland’s which most Americans could likely instantly recognize: Fanfare for the Common Man and Rodeo. “Fanfare” is the theme used for the Olympics. It is majestic and inspiring, nearly militaristic but with a little more soul. I can envision troops returning home, world-weary but triumphant, climbers reaching the peak of Everest, settlers battling down the frontier and staking a claim. It makes me proud to be an American, and yet it is not uniquely American- none of our anthems are referenced. This is Copland’s gift.

The piece “Rodeo”, particularly the Hoe Down suite, , most Americans would recognize as the theme song of an advertising campaign for American cattle. In fact, every time I played a cd with this piece on it, my beloved husband was completely unable to refrain from saying “Beef- it’s what’s for dinner” over the final strains. It is because of the iconic nature of this piece that it was chosen to represent the American west. It incorporates folk music, from early Americana, has peaks and crescendos, soaring violins, fast and furious arpeggios, and, as my son, at 3 years old, pronounced: “There are horsies on the radio”. It is clever and proud, and remains one of my favorite compositions.

Another American folkloric piece of Copland’s which is more introspective than energetic, is from “Appalachian Spring” , which is based heavily on a Shaker hymn entitled Simple Gifts. It is light and lovely, and each time I hear it, I expect to find myself in the wild days of the American Revolution, after the bloody battles, when freedom is just emerging. Heady stuff, this music. I feel incredibly patriotic today, but not in a Toby Keith terrorists-beware way.

A final piece for today is the “Billy the Kid” suite , used as a ballet score. The melody is haunting- the doomed young gun with enough courage for ten men. The story this piece tells is part of our national historical narrative. There is pride, arrogance, defeat, victory, but most of all the triumph of the human spirit. This is the essence of Copland.

I love Aaron Copland’s compositions. I hope you do as well. It is the music of America, after all.