Copland, Aaron

Copland, Aaron (b Brooklyn, NY, 1900; d NY, 1990). Amer. composer, pianist, and conductor, of Russ. parentage (name was originally Kaplan). First Amer. composer whose mus. was recognized outside USA as distinctively nat. Studied mus. theory in 1917 with Rubin Goldmark but in 1921 went to Paris as Nadia Boulanger's first full-time Amer. student, staying until 1924. On return to USA, wrote Sym. for Organ and Orch. (1923–4) for Mlle Boulanger's Amer. début as organist. F.p. in 1925 gained him notoriety as apostle of dissonance, the cond. (Damrosch) remarking: ‘If he can write like that at 23, in 5 years he'll be ready to commit murder’. Led to a Boston commission (Music for the Theater, for orch., 1925) from Koussevitzky, who also cond. f.p. of pf. conc., 1927. In both works jazz elements were introduced to purge what Copland felt was the ‘too European’ flavour of his mus. Abandoned jazz in 1930, adopting a more austere style in the Pf. Variations (1930) and Short Symphony (1932–3). At the same time, concerned with widening gap between public and contemporary composers, wrote some works in a more accessible, popular style. Visited Mexico several times in the 1930s and in 1936 prod. his highly successful El salón México, orch. fantasy on popular Mexican tunes. Other works in this style incl. ballets Billy the Kid (1938), Rodeo (1942), and Appalachian Spring (1944). In later years Copland prod. little mus., preferring to conduct.

Copland always worked hard on the promotional side of Amer. mus. as lecturer and teacher (head of the comp. faculty at Berkshire Mus. Center 1940–65). He toured the world as cond. and ambassador for his country's mus.; co-founded (with Sessions) a series of NY concerts of new Amer. works 1928–31, founded a publishing press, and was active with the League of Composers. In 1937 he founded the Amer. Composers' Alliance. He received Pulitzer Prize for Mus. 1944, Gold Medal of Amer. Acad. 1956, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom 1964. He wrote several books. Prin. comps.: OPERA: The Tender Land (1952–4, rev. 1955). BALLETS: Grohg (1922–5); Billy the Kid (1938); Rodeo (1942); Appalachian Spring (1943–4). ORCH.: Sym. for Organ (1924) (version without organ is Sym. No.1, 1928); Music for the Theater (1925); pf. conc. (1926); Symphonic Ode (1928–9, rev. 1955); A Dance Symphony (1930, based on ballet Grohg); Short Symphony (sym. No.2) (1932–3); Statements (1932–5); suite: Billy the Kid (1938); El salón México (1933–6); An Outdoor Ov. (1938, arr. for band 1941); Quiet City (1939); suite from film mus. Our Town (1940); A Lincoln Portrait for speaker, orch. (1942); Fanfare for the Common Man (1942); Music for the Movies (1942); suite, Rodeo (1943); suite, Appalachian Spring (1945); Sym. No.3 (1944–6); cl. conc. (1947–8); Orchestral Variations (1957, orch. version of pf. variations); Connotations (1962); Music for a Great City (1964); 3 Latin-American Sketches (1972); Inscape (1967). CHORAL: The House on the Hill (1925); In the Beginning, mez. and unacc. ch. (1947); Canticle of Freedom (1955, rev. 1965). CHAMBER MUSIC: As it fell upon a day, for sop., fl., and cl. (1923); 2 pieces for str. qt. (1923 and 1928, also for str. orch.); Vitebsk (Study on a Jewish Theme), pf. trio (1928); vn. sonata (1943); pf. qt. (1950); nonet for str. (1960); Duo for fl. and pf. (1971); Threnody (in memoriam Stravinsky), fl. qt. (1971). PIANO: The Cat and the Mouse (1920); Piano Variations (1930, orch. version 1957); Sonata (1939–41); Fantasy (1952–7). Also pf. suites from Billy the Kid and Our Town.

Also songs, incl. 12 Poems of Emily Dickinson (1950) and Old American Songs (1950–2), and film mus. incl. Of Mice and Men (1939), Our Town (1940), The Red Pony (1948) and The Heiress (1949) (Hollywood ‘Oscar’).