No. 8

Copland: Appalachian Spring

When the phrase "Americana" comes to mind, we tend to think of "amber waves of grain", the stars and stripes, apple pie, and, of course, composer Aaron Copland. His compositions evoke the sound and heart of the American spirit, and this is certainly best illustrated in his famous Appalachian Spring suite.

Already well known through his scores for the ballets “Billy the Kid” and “Rodeo”, the film scores for “Of Mice and Men” and “Our Town”, Copland was the ideal collaboration partner for the accomplished ballet dancer and choreographer Martha Graham. Graham, with funding from patron Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, wanted to create a ballet that had "an American theme". In turn, Copland began to score the piece gradually. With the working title "Ballet for Martha", he gave Graham space to explore the concept, letting her develop its intricacies before investing time into composing the piece. This eventually shifted into describing the daily aspects of farm life; a vision of hopeful youth discovering the American heartland and coping with all of the splendor and troubles therein.

Where Copland's previous work made rather explicit references to American folk myth and music, Appalachian Spring was more subtle, evoking the gist of Americana. The story of the ballet, which takes place in rural Pennsylvania, revolves around an anxious and shy bride and groom, who gradually get to know one another, as members of their community express their sentiments. They gradually become more comfortable with one another, and their humble natures allow them to face the future with optimism despite potential hardships. This is emphasized with Copland's interesting inclusion of a Shaker tune, "Simple Gifts", in the composition, despite a slight anachronism. Namely, Copland said of the inclusion that he "did not realize that there have never been Shaker settlements in rural Pennsylvania!" Nevertheless, “Appalachian Spring” is arguably Copland's best work, a composition which diligently yet gently displays the heart of Americana to the world.

Any way that’s what I think … Joan Nobile.

Top 40 Countdown

A few years ago the listeners to WNED Classical told us what they thought a TOP 40 list of Classical pieces should be. Six hundred and twenty-two different pieces were put forward, and over nine hundred listeners participated. The result, The WNED Classical Top 40, was both startling and comforting. There were a number of surprises, Stravinsky and Copland made the list; Mendelssohn and Schumann did not! It was comforting to know that the two most popular composers were Beethoven and J.S. Bach. The biggest surprise of all was the piece that crowned the list as No. 1.