Music 1010

1. KelbyWegwitz Sam Jewkes 12/08/2012 Final Presentation Music 1010

2. Aaron Copland Born November 14, 1900 Died December 2, 1990 http://www.last.fm/music/Aaron+Copland

3. Family • Lived in Brooklyn • Russian- Jewish • Immigrant 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

4. Piano Lessons • Rubin Goldmark, Ludwig Wolfsohn, http://ja.wikipedia.org

5. Study Abroad American Conservatory in France 1920-1923 http://www.fontainebleauschools.org/music/index.html Nadia Boulanger World Renowned Pianist http://gulfporthighsingers.com

6. Other Influences http://artsfuse.org Serge Koussevitsky

7. Copland’s Composition Timeline http://www.coplandhouse.org Copland’s Compositions and life Achievements

8. 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

9. Thus Ends an American Legend December 2, 1990

10. Copland 1944 A Brief History AppalatianSpring

11. 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

12. The Title The Dance Hart Cane O Appalachian Spring! I gained the ledge; Steep, inaccessible smile that eastward bends And northward reaches in that violet wedge Of Adirondacks.

13. The Story http://vimeo.com/8224891 Main Characters Bride, Groom, Radical Preacher, Congregation, Neighbor

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

15. 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.

16. 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

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. Works Cited http://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 AppalchianSpring Composed by Aaron Copland.