Aaron Copland: A Lover of MusicBy Drayton Bailey

Aaron Copland – Biography:

Aaron Copland was born on November 14, 1900

He was born in Brooklyn, New York to Sarah Mittenthal and Harris Copland. He was the last child to be born into a family of five children.

His parents emigrated from Russia to America prior to Aaron’s birth.

His family would have been considered conservative Jewish with Lithuanian origins.

Family was very musically inclined.

He began playing around with the piano at a young age, and began piano lessons that were given by his sister, Laurine.

Copland was exposed to two types of music, Jewish and Jazz. He wrote his first seven measure and melody at eleven.

Aaron Copland – Biography:

He received his first formal piano lesson from Leopold Wolfsohn.

In 1917 Copland began theory and formal composition lesson Rubin Goldmark.

Copland left New York and spent the summer of 1921 at the American Conservatory Fontaineblea, Fance

He stayed in Paris for three years and studied with famed teacher Nadia Boulanger, who helped Copland further develop his taste and style.

He returned to America with optimistic and enthusiasm and was determined more than ever to become a full-time composer.

Copland’s first compositions strived to strike a unique American Sound. This is were Jazz seemed like a great place to start for Copland.

Aaron Copland – Biography:

Beyond Jazz, Copland also spent plenty of time on deeper and more concentrated American Classical music styles like folk music.

In the late 1930s and early 1940s Copland’s ballets, patriotic works and lighter efforts, such as El Salon México (1932–1936), brought popular and critical acclaim. Appalachian Spring (1943–1944) won the Pulitzer Prize and the New York Music Critics’ Circle Award.  

Copland established his worldwide fame during his most productive years 1940-1950.

During that time a most successful and patriotic composition was produced by Copland; it was called “A Lincoln Portrait” (1942). Correspondingly Copland’s Third Symphony was written during this time. Composed in a two-year period from 1944 to 1946, it became Copland's best-known symphony .

Aaron Copland – Biography:

Beyond Jazz, Copland also spent plenty of time on deeper and more concentrated American Classical music styles like folk music.

In the late 1930s and early 1940s Copland’s ballets, patriotic works and lighter efforts, such as El Salon México (1932–1936), brought popular and critical acclaim. Appalachian Spring (1943–1944) won the Pulitzer Prize and the New York Music Critics’ Circle Award.  

Copland established his worldwide fame during his most productive years 1940-1950.

During that time a most successful and patriotic composition was produced by Copland; it was called “A Lincoln Portrait” (1942). Correspondingly Copland’s Third Symphony was written during this time. Composed in a two-year period from 1944 to 1946, it became Copland's best-known symphony .

Aaron Copland – Biography:

Throughout the 1950s and beyond, Copland continued to lecture, teach and write as vigorously as ever. Although he had occasionally conducted his own works, after his début with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in 1958 he embarked on a full-fledged conducting career, following which he conducted internationally for more than 20 years.

Copland was a professor at Tanglewood, Harvard and the New School for Social Research. He earned the title of “Dean of American Composers”.

As a scholar he wrote more than sixty articles and essays on music, as well as five books.

On December 2nd, 1990, he died of respiratory failure brought on by pneumonia.

In 1995 the Library of Congress opened its vast Copland Collection to the public.

Work Cited

• Pollack, Howard (1999). Aaron Copland. NY: Henry Holt and Co. ISBN 0-8050-4909-6

• Smith, Julia (1953). Aaron Copland. New York: E.P. Dutton & Co.

• Berger, Arthur (1953). Aaron Copland. Oxford: Oxford University Press

• PBS (2005), “Aaron Copland – About the Composer,”

• http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/aaron-copland/about-the-composer/475/

Composition History (s) – Orchestral Works

Symphonic Ode (1929 & 1955)Billy the Kid (1938)El Salon México (1936)Quiet City (1939)A Lincoln Portrait (1942)Fanfare for the Common Man (1942)Suite, Appalachian Spring (1945)

Composition History (s) – Opéra/Ballet Works

The Tender Land (Opera)

Billy the KidRodeoAppalachian Spring

Composition History (s) – Film

Of Mice and Men (1939)The North Star (1943)The Heiress (1949) (Hollywood ‘Oscar’)

Composition History – A Lincoln Portait

Aaron Copland’s Musical composition “A Lincoln Portrait” was one of his most notable and patriotic pieces he had written.

Listening Guide – A Lincoln Portrait

This recording of “A Lincoln Portrait” is from the following:COPLAND, A.: Fanfare for the Common Man / Lincoln Portrait / Canticle of Freedom / HARRIS, R.: American Creed (Portraits of Freedom) (Schwarz) – Jan 1993 Narration by James Earl Jones A Lincoln Portrait is scored for a speaker and an orchestra. Here is a list of the full orchestra instruments (classically):

• 2 flutes (doubling 2 piccolos)• 2 oboes• English horn (optional)• 2 clarinets in B-flat• bass clarinet• 2 bassoons• contrabassoon (optional)• 4 horns• 3 trumpets in B-flat (two

required; one optional)• 3 trombones

• tuba• timpani

• snare drum• cymbals• bass drum• tamtam• glockenspiel• sleigh bells• xylophone• celesta (optional)• harp• strings

Listening Guide – A Lincoln Portrait

SECTION #1

0:00 Introduction: SECTION #1 depicts the serious and somber thoughts of Lincoln at a time when our Nation was deeply troubled. The Main Theme begins solemnly with the FLUTE and TRUMPET. The music feels strong and the MELODIES ever ascending

0:04: The deep sound VIOLAS start the MAIN THEME but are soon replaced by the beginning instruments.

0:15: FLUTE and TRUMPETS play again. 0:30: The strings make their first appearance for just an about 2 second and the music slowly grows

in power and intensity. 0:41: Strings start again and play a bigger section. 0:51: Strings taper off and the flute plays the smoother MELODY. 0:56: The VIOLAS join the FLUTES once again playing the beginning melody. 1:05: The TRUMPETS repeat the MAIN THEME and the VIOLAS play their deep melody. 1:14: The TIMBRE of the VIOLINS beginning play with a screeching MELODY. The VIOLAS DYNAMICS

by imitation shortly have the VIOLINS. 1:27: HARMONY begins with the BRASS and STRINGS. The music continues to build. 1:40: The music comes to somewhat of climatic point with the TRUMPET playing FORTE

and the introduction of the PERCUSSIONS. The DYNAMICS & TEXTURE, TIMBRE of the DRUM and TRUMPET feels like something bad has happened.

1:55: MELODY and dignified RHYTHM continues from 1:40 with the PERCUSSIONS ending. You still have a mysterious sense of fatality looming

2:10: The PERCUSSIONS introduce the SOLO HORN and the MAIN THEME returns 2:18: SECTION #1 comes to a close with the HARMONY from the BRASS and STRINGS 2:30: End of SECTION #1. Section #1 does a wonderful job making you realize they were speaking

to a great Man, Abraham Lincoln.

Listening Guide – A Lincoln Portrait

SECTION #2

2:31 Introduction: SECTION #2 depicts the happy times before the Civil War when both Lincoln and the Nation were young and Energetic. Furthermore in this section, Copland brings into play to very popular melodies of that time: “Camptown Races” and “Springfield Mountain.”

2:32: The CLARINET’S unique TIMBRE can be heard and starts playing a smooth MELODIC folk tune. FOLK-LIKE PATTERNS appear against tricky rhythmic accompaniments.

2:52 – 3:15: The folk pattern continues with the WOODWINDS FORTE and the RHYTHM AND HARMONY can be heard playing PIANO. More or less smooth sounding strings. The music becomes more peaceful and tranquil.

3:19: But wait… the deep sound VIOLAS show up again with the TRUMPET playing MELODY. This suddenly changed the DYNAMICS and TEXTURE of the music, but not for long.

3:35: The HORN plays a short SOLO, with intermittent VIOLAS/STRINGS stirring up the SOLO. 3:58: Abruptly FORTE!!! The three FOLK PATTERNS are tossed from one BRASS instrument to the

other. TEXTURE and COLOR is provided SLEIGH BELLS. 4:08-4:34: The CLARINET does a brief solo throughout the timestamp while the full orchestra abruptly cuts in. 4:35: The smooth sounding STRINGS play a part, while the CLARINET does some fluttering in and out. 4:45: This back and forth continues, but the OBOE gets his turn where the CLARINET was fluttering. 4:50: The music and patterns continues with a mesh of the STRING and WOODWINDS instruments. 5:02: Now it’s the BRASS’S turn. 5:08: But now the MELODY start’s to change slightly, but only for a moment. 5:15: The BRASS and PERCUSSION’S square off similar to earlier. The music is ASCENDING at this point and

getting FORTE. 5:20: Instrument’s like the STRINGS begin to play 5:25: At this point it starts to sound like the FULL ORCHESTRA is playing the same melody. Slightly in

syncopation style (Instruments to some extent behind the others).

Listening Guide – A Lincoln Portrait

SECTION #2

2:31 Introduction: SECTION #2 depicts the happy times before the Civil War when both Lincoln and the Nation were young and Energetic. a moment then a Strong, fancy RHYTHMS appear in the percussion. Each of the other instruments seems to be playing its own folk tune.

6:00: To round out this CLIMATIC fervor the TRUMPETS sound off the distinct MELODY and join the HARMONY of the ORCHESTRA.

6:10-6:50: The FULL ORCHESTRA changes RHYTHM and slows a down a bit and the ORCHESTRA plays the last PATTERN together.

6:56: The mood of the theme moves into a minor sound with BRASS and PERCUSSIONS and continues to slow.

7:10: End of SECTION #2: The section #2 provided mostly a new HARMONY and expansive TEXTURE that gave the music the feeling and sound jumping, carefree, rhythms give a happy, good feeling inside; a “can-do” sensation.

Listening Guide – A Lincoln Portrait

SECTION #3

7:10: Introduction: SECTION #3 draws a “Simple but impressive frame about the words of Lincoln himself”. This section is very remarkable because Copland illustrates Lincoln with his extraordinary choice of words, which is orated by a storyteller and forcing the dynamics of the orchestra to change. A whole splay of emotions, driven by the text, are highlighted and punctuated within Orchestra. Copland is trying to produce a verbal and auditory portrait for the audience by playing with the music.

7:11: Narration begins - “Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history.” This statement is emphasized by the regal TRUMPETS. Giving nobility to Abraham Lincoln at the very beginning (I think this is cool!)

7:12-7:45: The TRUMPETS continue to play softly during the sustained narration. 7:46-8:19: The Orchestra BRASS is ascending and becoming forte and continues on even after the words

We—even we here—hold the power and bear the responsibility.” 8:20: Interlude between the next narration, features the BRASS heavily. They are loud and strong. The

Tuba is the loudest with its distinct PITCH and TIMBRE. There a few points where the PERCUSSIONS play on note that cause drama.

8:40: A smooth and soft MELODY and HARMONY are played by the STRINGS to takes us into the next narration.

8:48: Narration continues – “He was born in Kentucky, raised in Indiana, and lived in Illinois.” The STRINGS provide soft and easy RHYTHM and the CLARINET provides RHYTHM. 9:13: Quick change in MELODIC TEXTURE to set stage for the next verse – “The dogmas of the quiet past

are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.”

9:15-9:45: HARMONY between the BRASS and the STRINGS congers through these verses. This helps highlight emphasis of the sentence “We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.” The TROMBONE does the most of the highlighting.

9:45: Climatic fervor begins at the end of the sentence. This played by the entire ORCHESTRA. The TRUMPET leads us into the next narration

Listening Guide – A Lincoln Portrait

SECTION #3

9:58-10:15” Narration continues – at the point where he says “It is the eternal struggle between two principles, right and wrong, throughout the world. . .” there is accompaniment of strong rhythms and low-pitched chords that brings highlight and punctuation.

10:15-10:48: PERCUSSIONS and BRASS provide strong explanation marks and pauses throughout the next couple sentences– (DRUMS and BRASS) It is the same spirit that says, ‘You toil and work and earn bread (DRUMS and BRASS)—and I’ll eat it.’ No matter in what shape it comes (DRUMS and BRASS), whether from the mouth of a king who seeks to bestride the people of his own nation and live by the fruit of their labor (DRUMS and BRASS), or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race, it is the same tyrannical principle! (GONG, DRUMS and BRASS)”

10:50-11:18: The end of last narration dramatic. The FLUTE and TRUMPET the start to shift from loud to soft volumes and dynamics to set stage for the next narration.

11:18-11:52: As the dynamics shift the narration begins again - “Lincoln was a quiet man.” Lincoln was a quiet man. Abe Lincoln was a quiet and a melancholy man. But when he spoke of democracy, this is what he said: He said: “As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy.” Through-out this paragraph the music and the vocal are becoming louder and are ascending. The MELODY, HARMONY and RHYTHM are the same THEME being played by the ORCHESTRA.

11:52 The Climatic ending of the narration is truly produced by the BRASS and PERCUSSIONS because of the sheer PITCH and vibrancy of the instruments. The same PATTERN and THEME continues.

12:21: The beauty and the softness of the strings take over and send you off into the next narration. 12:36: Narration continues – “Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth President of these United States, is everlasting

in the memory of his countrymen.” The STRINGS and the deep RHYTHM TIMBRE of the CELLO ring out this statement.

12:48: The WOODWINDS take the interlude.

Listening Guide – A Lincoln Portrait

SECTION #3

12:55-13:50: “For on the battleground at Gettysburg, this is what he said: He said: “…that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave

the last full measure of devotion: that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Suffice it to say a trumpet begins to play a melody as the narrator quotes from the Gettysburg Address. I do not be this was by accident. I believe Copland choose the trumpet to provide a underscoring solo because of the historical tradition and regal significance to wartime and memorial uses. It is a TIMBRE known by all.

13:50-14:36: A Melodramatic sounds from the FULL ORCHESTRA bring this inspiring tribute to Lincoln to magnificent close.

14:36: End – The hope is that the combining of sections would provide a complete picture or portrait of Abraham Lincoln?