Aaron copland composer biography dvd

American composer Date of Birth: Country: USA

Content:

1. Aaron Copland: Biography
2. Exploring European Modernism
3. Three Stages of Artistic Evolution
4. Recognitions and Legacy

Aaron Copland: Biography

Aaron Copland, an American composer, was born on November 14, , in Brooklyn, to a family of Russian-Jewish immigrants.

Aaron copland composer biography Copland was referred to by his peers and critics as the "Dean of American Composers". The open, slowly changing harmonies in much of his music are typical of what many consider the sound of American music, evoking the vast American landscape and pioneer spirit. He is best known for the works he wrote in the s and s in a deliberately accessible style often referred to as "populist" and which he called his "vernacular" style. In addition to his ballets and orchestral works, he produced music in many other genres, including chamber music, vocal works, opera, and film scores. After some initial studies with composer Rubin Goldmark , Copland traveled to Paris, where he first studied with Isidor Philipp and Paul Vidal , then with noted pedagogue Nadia Boulanger.

After finishing high school, he studied harmony, counterpoint, and composition with R. Goldmark in New York City from to In the summer of , he attended special courses at the Fontainebleau School of Music in France, followed by three years of composition lessons with Nadia Boulanger in Paris.

Exploring European Modernism

During his time in the capital of France, Copland immersed himself in the vibrant atmosphere of post-war Europe, which was a period of formation for European modernism in music.

The works of Igor Stravinsky and the French "Les Six" (especially Darius Milhaud) had a particularly strong influence on the young American composer. Upon his return to New York in June , Copland quickly became a leader among contemporary American composers. He solidified his position through books, public lectures, and, of course, his own compositions.

Three Stages of Artistic Evolution

Copland's artistic evolution can be divided into three main stages.

The first stage () is characterized by a synthesis of jazz polyrhythms with compositional techniques typical of the French school of that time. Notable examples from this period include the Symphony for Organ and Orchestra (), "Music for the Theatre" (), and the Piano Concerto ().

Aaron copland composer biography dvd Aaron Copland, an American composer, was born on November 14, , in Brooklyn, to a family of Russian-Jewish immigrants. After finishing high school, he studied harmony, counterpoint, and composition with R. Goldmark in New York City from to In the summer of , he attended special courses at the Fontainebleau School of Music in France, followed by three years of composition lessons with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. During his time in the capital of France, Copland immersed himself in the vibrant atmosphere of post-war Europe, which was a period of formation for European modernism in music.

The second stage () saw Copland's music becoming more abstract, achieved through dissonant harmony based on twelve-tone (serial) techniques and the use of polytonal combinations. Noteworthy works from this stage include the Piano Variations (), "Short Symphony No. 2" (), and "Statements" (). In his search for a straightforward and clear musical language, Copland turned to American folklore starting in This trend is evident in his applied music for radio, film, and theater, such as the ballets "Billy the Kid" (), "Rodeo" (), and "Appalachian Spring" (), which are considered masterpieces of American ballet.

In his profound and serious academic works, notable compositions include the Piano Sonata (), Third Symphony (), cycle of songs "Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson" (), and the opera "The Tender Land" (). While Copland's applied music often contains direct folk music quotations, his later works in the "high" genres mostly use folk motifs indirectly, and in some cases, their material is connected to the composer's earlier periods.

For example, in the Clarinet Concerto (), he returns to a jazz style, and in the Piano Quartet (), Piano Fantasy (), and "Inscape" (), he returns to a drier abstract style reminiscent of his second period.

Recognitions and Legacy

Throughout his life, Copland received numerous awards and honors. "Appalachian Spring" earned him the Pulitzer Prize in , and he won the Academy Award for Best Music for "The Heiress" in In , he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, followed by the Kennedy Center Honors for his contribution to American culture in Among the many societies that elected Copland as an honorary member were the National Institute of Arts and Letters in New York and the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Copland preferred to earn a living through public lectures and writings rather than teaching.

He published extensively in leading journals and newspapers and authored books such as "What to Listen for in Music" (), "Music and Imagination" (), "Copland on Music" (), and "The New Music " (; a revised edition of his earlier book, "Our New Music," published in ). Copland's ideas were disseminated through his lectures and concerts, which he organized with composer Roger Sessions in New York and at the festivals of American music in Yaddo, Saratoga Springs.

Aaron copland composer songs It was his pioneering achievement to break free from Europe and create concert music that is characteristically American. At the same time, he was able to stamp his music with a compositional personality so vivid as to transcend stylistic boundaries, making every work identifiable as his alone. Among the many vital legacies of his stay in Paris were a growing interest in popular idioms and the insight that there was as yet no American counterpart to the national styles being created by composers from Europe. But Copland saw a broader role for himself than mere iconoclast. He sought to further the cause of new music as a vital cultural force.

Copland was also the initiator of the formation of the American Composers Alliance, which aimed to provide material support to musicians, and he served as its president from to In , he directed the composition department at the Berkshire Music Center (Tanglewood). At the request of the U.S. Department of State, Copland made goodwill visits to Latin America in and and embarked on a major international tour with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in After , Copland created very little but continued to conduct and give lectures until the mids.

He passed away on December 2, , in North Tarrytown, New York.