Music 1010Kelby WegwitzSam Jewkes12/08/2012Final Presentation

Aaron Copland

Born November 14, 1900

Died December 2, 1990

http://www.last.fm/music/Aaron+Copland

Family

http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/0011/copland.html

• Harris and Sarah Copland• 5 Children•Aaron was Youngest

http://www.shorpy.com/node/7531

• Lived in Brooklyn• Russian- Jewish Immigrant family

Piano Lessons

http://ja.wikipedia.org

•Rubin Goldmark, Ludwig Wolfsohn,

Study Abroad

http://gulfporthighsingers.com

American Conservatory in France 1920-1923

Nadia Boulanger World Renowned Pianist

http://www.fontainebleauschools.org/music/index.html

Other Influences

http://artsfuse.org

Serge Koussevitsky

Copland’s Composition Timeline

http://www.coplandhouse.org

Copland’s Compositions and life Achievements

The Good Years

From 1920 ‘s to 1970’s Composed more than 100 pieces Started teaching Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood Taught at Harvard Wrote Fanfare for the Common Man, Billy the Kid, and

Appalachian Trail his most Famous works.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Copland

Thus Ends an American Legend

December 2, 1990

Appalatian Spring Copland 1944A Brief History

Appalachian Spring

• Commisioned Ballet-1943 E. Sprague Coolidge Foundation

• Performed and Choreographed by Martha Grahm.

• Debuted October 30, 1944

http://www.classicalnotes.net/classics/appalachian.html

The Title

The Dance Hart Cane

O Appalachian Spring! I gained the ledge;Steep, inaccessible smile that eastward bendsAnd northward reaches in that violet wedge

Of Adirondacks.

The Story

http://vimeo.com/8224891

Main CharactersBride, Groom, Radical Preacher, Congregation, Neighbor

The Story

http://archives.danceviewtimes.com/dvw/reviews/2003/sanjose.htm

Copland’s Dinamics 1. VERY SLOWLY. Introduction of the characters, one by one, in a suffused light.

2. FAST. Sudden burst of unison strings in A major arpeggios stars the action. A sentiment both elated and religious gives the keynote to this scene.

3. MODERATE. Duo for the Bride and her Intended--scene of tenderness and passion.

4. QUITE FAST. The Revivalist and his flock. Folksy feelings--suggestions of square dances and country fiddlers.

5. STILL FASTER. Solo dance of the Bride--presentiment of motherhood. Extremes of joy and fear and wonder.

6. VERY SLOWLY (as at first). Transition scenes reminiscent of the introduction.

7. CALM AND FLOWING. Scenes of daily activity for the Bride and her farmer-husband. There are five variations on a Shaker theme . . . sung by a solo clarinet . . .

8. MODERATE. CODA. The Bride takes her place among her neighbors. At the end the couple are left "quiet and strong in their new house." Muted strings intone a hushed, prayer like passage. The close is reminiscent of the opening music.

Listening Guide (click here to Play Piece)

0:00 Introduction of all characters Slow Starts with french horn and is joined by the cello and woodwinds.

1:18 French horns carry the Melody with flutes joining in a polyphonic sound

2:15 2nd Movement-Tempo is doubled and violins start the movement.

2:19 Drums enter the piece for the first time.

2:22 Bassoon and Clarinet echo each other in imitation.

2:58 Low Brass come in and have the piece carry a feeling of busy industry.

3:29 Music Starts to dissolve and flutes carry the melody at 3:53

4:08 Music Turns to a Minor Key

4:27 Minor dissolves and leaves Percussion playing at half tempo

5:07 3rd Movement Starts with the brass section.

5:56 Violins carry melody. Tempos is soft and slow like a romantic moment is shared between the Bride and Groom

Listening Guide (cont) 7:15 Cornet is heard and orchestra mimics in turn.

8:05 4th Movement- Quite Fast with the trumpet leading the piece.

8:57 Duple Meter with the Snare Drum keeping Cadence

10:00 Feeling of celebration continues and a crescendo builds.

10:30 Piece falls to “off Cadence” beat. Copland’s Jazz influences can be seen in this movement.

10:44 Horns reach Crescendo and tempos is half.

11:00 11:40 Diminuendo and is treated as transition music between movements.

11:41 5th Movement- Very short notes with exact lengths very ridged movements. Use of mimicry again

12:13 Fanfare by Trumpets

12:35 Building Crescendo

12:42- 12:53 Drums complete Crescendo

14:21 Dramatic slow down and transition.

Listening Guide (cond) 14:42 6th Movement Starts slow like beginning with the violins.

15:33 Polyphonic with the strings carrying the melody

16:16 Violins flare to make it feel like wind moving.

16:45 1st Variation of “Shaker Hymn" by Joseph Bracket. Lone clarinet holds melody with woodwinds support (mainly the flutes)

17:13 2nd Variation Bassoon starts melody in a different key again with flutes and now clarinets in the back ground. Horns come in half way through just as flute did for clarinet in the first movement.

17:41 3rd Variation Cello picks up Shaker Hymn with a half tempo variation and is joined by every section in the orchestra at 8:13

18:30 4th Variation by the trumpet and brass

18:57 5th and final Variation on Shaker Hymn Played and carried by a mostly unison orchestra with a crescendo.

Works Citedhttp://www.npr.org/programs/specials/copland/notes.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/12595659/Listening-Guides-2

http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/?fuseaction=composition&composition_id=3739

http://lasr.cs.ucla.edu/geoff/prognotes/copland/appalachianSpring.html

Appalchian Spring Composed by Aaron Copland.