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Copland | Still | Christy/Moccio | Kouyoumdjian | Moncayo | Dvořák | Lennon
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THE COMPOSER
THE COMPOSER
Aaron Copland (1900-1990), born to a family of Russian-Jewish immigrants in New York City, was determined to become a composer by the time he was fifteen. After studying in Paris at the Fontainebleau Schools for Americans, Copland became a mentee to Serge Koussevitzky, who conducted some of the young composer’s first major compositions.
Following a long and versatile composition career, which included symphonies, songs, Academy Award-winning film scores, and famous ballet compositions such as Billy the Kid (1938) and Appalachian Spring (1944), Copland has often been recognized as the quintessential American composer.
THE HISTORY
THE HISTORY
Copland composed this emotive piece when Eugene Goossens, conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra , asked him to write a fanfare in honor of the soldiers, airmen, and sailors serving abroad in World War II.
Goossens was initially surprised by the title Copland had chosen, but the piece was to premiere on March 12, 1943 – three days before tax day, and both Goossens and Copland agreed this title would be a fitting way to honor the ‘common man.’ Indeed, after fifteen months of war, paying taxes had become increasingly difficult for the majority of Americans.
THE MEANING
THE MEANING
This composition perfectly represents Aaron Copland's interests as a composer: the celebration of American heritage and the elevation of American classical music as its own entity as opposed to a mere imitation of European culture.
As Copland's style evolved alongside American culture throughout the twentieth century, he increasingly found the theme of Americanism in his composition to be natural: "I no longer feel the need of seeking out conscious Americanism. Because we live here and work here, we can be certain that when our music is mature it will also be American in quality."
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