Aaron Copland essay Paper
Copeland Music has shaped the world since it originated and it keeps developing to inspire people. The Twentieth Century music was In the time frame of 1900 through 2009. Every musical period in time has some influences that help develop the unique styles of this era. Aaron Copeland was an intelligent individual of this time. He participated in musical works from 1900 to 1990. Aaron Copeland was known as the American Composer because his works were simply the American sound.
Soprano’s velveteen as the Iconic American figure was emerged from his life background, the time era’s events, and his cultural context of his music. Aaron Copeland was the Iconic American Composer who lived a bachelor life. “He lived alone, as he had his whole life, a bachelor; he worked on a plank desk supported by a simple sawhorse” (source 3). He was born on November 14, 1900 In Brooklyn, New York. HIS parents were Russian-Jewish immigrants and he was the brother of four siblings. His father, Harris Morris Copeland was an immigrant who came to America when he was seventeen.
His mother, Sarah Nineteenth, came to America with her family at the age of six, and Aaron was closest to his mother. After a year of training, he learned all he could through his sister Leeriness lessons. She had no more to teach him since she taught him everything she knew, so even though his parents were not supportive in his music, he still pursued to further his education for music. Ludwig Wolfish was his first real teacher and after three years with him he advanced to a European trained concert plants, Victor Wittgenstein. He graduated from Boys High school In
Brooklyn and while being there studied theory under Rubin Goldman, which only increased to further his desire for modern music. The turning point in his life came when he received and won a scholarship for the American Conservatory at Forgettable, France. He went to France and studied and was taught by Nadia Ballooner. Although he never received any typed of degree while in France, his three years studying there were more than equivalent. While studying with Nadia Ballooner, she had asked him to write an Organ Concerto for her American appearances when he returned to America, which he did (source 2).
He returned to New York after three years in Paris, and after his return he was determined to achieve this American sound in his music. Copeland taught intermittently at Harvard university. For the year 1951, he was the instructor of Poetics (source 3). Copeland was enlisted to teach at Harvard, until he retired In the year of 1965. HIS remaining years of his life were spent in his three-acre estate located at Rockville near Hudson River in Westchester County. He Died on December 2, 1990.
After his death, his estate became the headquarters of the Copeland Heritage Association through a program here a wide range of activities such as commissioning programs to concerts, recordings, and exoskeletons, help promote American music. Not only did Soprano’s life depict the style of composer he was, but also the Twentieth Century’s events. FIFO During tons time era, ten world wars were occurring Ana so was ten Depression AT the sass’s. A time of revolt was spreading through the people. Political issues were rising and these issues were reflecting upon the music of this time. Article Lonnie). At this time, American sound was increasing in music. New generations of Americans mingle wanted to create a patriotic feel to music because it was American. This can also be an influence due to the drastic events of this time. Despite the wars and depression, the emergence of the radio, television, and Internet brought a wider variety to music. (sources) It expanded the experiences of people. Aaron Copeland wanted to appeal to a broader audience during this century. (article). He did not want to Just appeal to what he called the “music-loving public”.
Copeland wanted to reach out to a bigger audience. Therefore, he strives to reach people by his music with American sound. He wanted people to listen to his works and be able to say that the style American. The way Copeland wanted to achieve appealing to this broader audience was through the technological advances. He would do his best to be on the radio, to be at interviews, to do works that would get commissioned for. (source 2) In this way, his work was getting out there, and it was more accessible. The important emergence of Latin American composers was also developing. Articulation) One of the important Latin American composers is Carols Shaven (1899-1978). He was important in this time era and Copeland. Copeland visited Mexico in the sass where he met Shaven. Shaven along with the Latin American land inspired Copeland. Out of this experience, Copeland stated that he felt a connection with the land and people there. At this time, he created El Salon Mexico (1936), which is inspired by Latin American culture. (article 1) Other events occurring in the Twentieth Century were the changes of language in music. Since the Baroque era, more changes in the music language were found (book).
A lot of new composers most likely wanted to experiment with different aspects to create different sounds for the public. Composers wanted to change the sound of the music and create something new. That of course was a success with some of the composers, including Aaron Copeland. Women also became more actively involved in music during this time. They would either be composers, musical educators, and or virtuoso soloists. Unlike previous musical periods when women were not as evolved in music, the Twentieth Century brought about this change.
Among one of this list of well-recognized women, was Nadia Boulders Aaron Soprano’s teacher for three years. (book). Influences to Copeland of the Twentieth Century were American Jazz, Igor Stravinsky Neoclassicism, and Arnold Schoenberg Twelve-Tone System. Copeland incorporated Jazz elements in his early works because he believed they were American. (book) He also incorporated Stravinsky and Schoenberg techniques to experiment with different sounds and tones. In that way he achieved a clarity sound to his music and changes in pitch. (book).
Apart from his life history, and Twentieth Century events, the cultural context of his music also favored his American sound. Aaron Copeland throughout his lifetime developed several musical styles. Nadia Ballooner was a major influence (book). She was Soprano’s instructor in Paris. She taught him to write many notes but to only keep the most important one’s. Also, she encouraged him to be himself. After studying in Paris, Copeland returned to New York determined to create work that sounded American. In the sass’s America did not really have a classical sound. A lot AT American classical music Militate ten European sound.
Copeland found the American sound through Jazz and American folk tale. The public did not recognize Soprano’s American sound until later years. One of Copeland early works was Piano Variation, composed in the early sass’s. This musical piece was one of Soprano’s most difficult and boldest works he had ever composed. It took Copeland about a year to finish this musical piece. Piano Variations had a very dissonant sound that was made of a few notes (book). Copeland took the notes of the main theme and created different combinations of sounds and moods with those same notes. He stacks the notes of theme on top of one another to create a dissonant ladder”(Video). Piano Variations was appreciated by many of Soprano’s colleagues. At the time, this musical piece was considered very controversial and was not appreciated so much by he public. In the sass’s, Copeland was considered a modernist composer (video). Piano Variations was influenced mainly by Jazz. After Copeland experimented with Jazz, he focused on the American folk tale music. It was not in America where Copeland first incorporated folk tale music. Copeland was first influenced by Mexican folk music.
While in Mexico Copeland and his colleagues spent some time at a local dance hall called El Salon Mexico. In this dance hall Copeland heard the Mexican folk music by the people (video). It was that visit to Mexico that inspired Copeland to incorporated that Mexican folk music in his next ice El Salon Mexico 1936. “As the first of Soprano’s works to make extensive use of folk song, El Salon Mexico captures the spirit of the eponymous dance hall by quoting traditional Mexican tunes and evoking such popular musical idioms as the mariachi”(article).
El Salon Mexico was considered one of Soprano’s populist works. “Copeland further explained that El Salon Mexico was intended to capture his sense of a really live contact with the Mexican people-the electric sense one sometimes gets in far-off places, of suddenly knowing the essence of a people -their humanity, their operate shyness, their dignity and unique charm” (article). One of Soprano’s most famous works was Appalachian Spring (1944). He originally composed the piece for Martha Graham’s ballet.
Graham wanted to create a ballet that summed up peoples peace and war (video). During this time, our country was in the middle of World War II. The ballet concerns a ‘pioneer celebration in spring around a newly built farmhouse in the Pennsylvania hills’ in the early 1800″ (book). Appalachian Springs included Simple Gifts, which consisted of five variations (book). Copeland incorporated Shaker melody. The Shaker melody appealed to Copeland because it portrayed simplicity and also created a very calm mood. The Shakers were a religious sect established in America around the time of the Revolution (book). Among his other works there was also Fanfare for the Common Man. This musical piece was considered an American anthem. The Fanfare for the Common Man has been used for several occasions; one was to honor allied forces during WI (video). “Aside from his numerous compositions, Copeland made many other contributions to American music by directing composers’ groups, organizing concerts, lecturing, Ritter books and articles, teaching and conducting”(book).