Composing a Legacy

A Look at the Life, Music, and Struggles of Aaron Copland

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Preface: I had never really heard the great name “Aaron Copland” until I came to college. It was not until I played “Rodeo” in my first semester that I fell in love with his compositions. Copland had such a unique way of writing music–it was truly a gift. He knew how to make the simplest melodies and turn them into robust and unique pieces. I feel as though his pieces really show us the true “American” sound. This paper has made me connect with Copland on a much more personal level and has made my appreciation for him grow.

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Aaron Copland

The day is November 14th, 1900, in Brooklyn, New York– Aaron Harris Copland was born, growing up only to influence and push the world of music, becoming a common household name in the twentieth century and on.

     Copland was born into a Jewish immigrant family. His mother, Sarah Mittenthal Copland, was from Vishtinetz (Vistytis)--a town near the Russian border, and not far from Königsberg, East Prussia (now Kaliningrad, Russia). His father, Harris Morris Copland, was from Shavli (Siauliai), near Kovno, in the Lithuanian part of what was Russian Poland. After moving to the United States in 1877, his mother gave birth to Copland, being the youngest of five siblings. During Copland’s early life, he took piano lessons from his sister, Laurine. After three years, he started studying with professional teacher Leopold Wolfsohn– following his time studying under Wolfsohn, he proceeded to take composition and counterpoint lessons with Rubin Goldmark. Although Goldmark was strict in his adherence to the 19th-century masters, Copland decided to carve his own path and explore the music and talent of more modern masters of his time, such as Ravel, Debussy, and Scriabin. Four years later, under the guidance of Goldmark, Copland decided to follow the waves over to Europe to further his musical training.

In June of 1921, he moved to France, where he attended the Summer School of Music for American Students at Fontainebleau, studying with the great Nadia Boulanger. In the photograph to the left, you can see Copland pictured with other students of Nadia Boulanger in her Paris home. As with any young composer and musician, Copland struggled with the anxieties and concerns that come with the art of creating something from nothing. Mademoiselle Boulanger was not only a great composer but an even better mentor. She understood the struggles that young musicians like Copland had. She made her feelings known to those students who lacked the necessary talent; however, she could instill in those who had the natural. At the beginning of Copland’s compositional career–as for many things in life–he started small. He would limit himself to two-page songs and three-page piano compositions. After some encouragement from Mlle. Boulanger, Copland began to write pieces on a larger scale, which led him to complete his first full-sized ballet titled Grogh, which was thirty-five minutes long. Copland started attending concerts, bringing with him the full score of the pieces that were on the program, as per the recommendation of Mlle. Boulanger. Concerts that he never failed to attend were those of Serge Koussevitzky. This would soon benefit Copland, as Koussevitzky had a connection with Mlle. Boulanger eventually led to Copland getting commissioned to write pieces for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which Koussevitzky directed. This was just the beginning. He went on to write about one hundred works, including smaller chamber pieces–some of them being Fanfare for the Common Man, 1942, Appalachian Spring, 1944, and  Symphony No. 3, 1946. Copland proceeded to win major accolades for his compositions, including a Pulitzer Prize for Appalachian Spring, an Academy Award for the film score of The Heiress, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He also received a plethora of awards, such as honorary degrees from institutions such as Temple University, Rutgers University, New York University, Tulane University, and Indiana State University. Copland was devoted to conducting for the rest of his life until about 1983, when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease and passed away on December 2, 1990.

Having to choose pieces to talk about in this paper was extremely difficult, as Copland has such a diverse range of repertoire and a way of writing that I could talk about forever. Fanfare for the Common Man, Appalachian Spring, and Symphony No. 3 are all pieces that I feel as though encapsulate Copland’s talent and artistic visions. Fanfare for the Common Man was commissioned by Eugene Goossens, who was the conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony. Fanfare for the Common Man was from a series of fanfares that Goossens commissioned from eighteen different composers. This unique piece went through quite a few renovations before finally deciding on a name, Fanfare for the Common Man– it was scored for brass and percussion only, consisting of four horns, three trumpets, two trombones, and a tuba with timpani, bass drum, and tam-tam. Referring back to the beginning of this paper, where I mentioned that Copland can turn the simplest of melodies into robust pieces, this fanfare is a prime example. Fanfare for the Common Man is mostly built upon three simple motifs, all of which appear in the first eight bars– it opens up with a loud blast from the percussion, followed by two more one beat later. This is one theme that comes back throughout the piece. The next theme is the iconic three-note fanfare initially played by the trumpets. This is the main motif that frequently occurs throughout the piece in various instrumentation. You can view examples of this three-note idea throughout the piece. measures six, thirteen, twenty-four, and twenty-five– a simple three-note motif reappears throughout the whole piece in different instruments. The amazing thing about this piece, and why I feel as though it really portrays a fanfare, is the way it is orchestrated–  having an all-brass and percussion piece has such a distinct sonority to it, with the harsh, punching notes in the trumpets to the warm, mellow, and round sound of the horns and low brass. There is a sense of unity and disruption, long notes held out with interjections of that three-note idea, followed by chorale-like sections to bring a sense of peace and solidification. Figure 7 is an excerpt from measures 36-39. Compared to figures 4-6, this section is more of a chorale-like section. 

The next notable piece by Copland that I feel as though would be illegal, not to mention Appalachian Spring, written in 1944. Appalachian Spring is a piece like no other; it was originally written as a one-movement ballet that was scored for a chamber orchestra of 13 instruments. Appalachian Spring is such a unique piece because it has so much packed into its movements– there are so many different themes and ideas that appear throughout the piece. One of the more popular ones is in movement seven, Copland uses the tune Simple Gifts and utilizes thematic transformation throughout the whole movement. As you listen to this movement, you can hear the Simple Gifts theme get passed around from instrument to instrument, which makes a very enjoyable listening experience.