Copland introduction

I have been a fan of Copland since I heard his obituary on the BBC news back in November 1990 – I recall some grainy black-and-white shots of the ‘Hoe-down’ from Rodeo being danced by the Agnes de Mille company. For a boy brought up watching Western movies, this exciting music had immediate appeal. In my view, Copland is an absolutely perfect starting point to get children interested in classical music, just as the popular ballets and film music were successful in awakening my own curiosity. In the 1930s he came to the conclusion that most modern composers seemed to be working in a vacuum, producing music for a learned few. The path his music followed from 1936-52

aimed to be useful to society, through the Cowboy ballets and simpler pieces for high school performers, radio, film, and pieces supporting the war effort. However, if you listen closely you’ll see that Copland remained true to his full musical lexicon and in many pieces there is dissonance where you would least expect to find it (‘The Fear in the Night’ section of the complete Appalachian Spring ballet, for instance). These pieces provide a great starting point to exploring the more ‘serious’ works – such as the 1960s orchestral works Music for a Great City and Connotations, which are not as performed as often as they deserve to be. Kevin Lindegaard, Bristol