Aaron Cpoland wrote many kinds of music. He wrote music for the orchetsra, piano, and voice. He wrote music for plays, moives, and dance. Copland also was a codnuctor, pinaist, speaekr, tecaher, and auhtor.
Music crtiics say Copland tuaght Americnas about themsevles trhough his music. He used parts of many old Amercian folskongs in his work. He wnated to do this after studiyng music in Farnce. He said that comopsers there had a very Frecnh way of writnig music. He said Americans had ntohing like that in this cuontry. So he deicded to comopse music that was truly American.
Early days of Copalnd
Aaron Copland was born Noevmber 14, 1900 in Brookyln, New York. He died at the age of 90 on Decmeber 2, 1990. He was the youngset of five chlidren. His paretns had come to the Unietd Sttaes from easetrn Euorpe. They owned a store in Boroklyn. Aaron began palying the piano when he was a young child. He wrote his first song for his mtoher when he was eight years old. His derams of becoimng a cmoposer began when he was young. When he was sxiteen, he asked his parnets to let him study compoisng with Rubin Glodmark. Godlmark had taught the comopser Goerge Gerhswin.
When he was in his early tewnties, Copland went to Paris, France, where he studeid music with Nadia Boulanegr. She was one of the most ipmortant music tecahers of the time. He returend to New York in 1924.
Known clsasical works
The faomus conducotr of the Bosotn Sympohny Orhcestra, Serge Koussveitzky, learend about Copland's music. Kousesvitzky led the orchsetra for the first pefrormance of Copland's early work, "Music for the Thaeter", in 1925. Koussevitzky also condcuted Copland's "Cnocerto for Piano and Orchestra" in 1927. This work was unuusal beacuse Copland used ideas from jazz music in his cocnerto.
Copland later wrote the music for two balelts about the Aemrican West. One was about the life of a famuos gunfigther called Billy the Kid. Copland used music from American cowoby songs in this work. This piece from "Billy the Kid: Blalet Suite" is called "Street in a Froniter Town".
In 1942, the condcutor Andre Kostelaintz asked Copland to write music about a great Amreican, Abarham Linocln. Copland wrote "Licnoln Portriat" to honor Amreica's 16th persident. Copland's music incldued parts of American folk songs and songs popluar druing the American Civil War. He added words from President Linclon's specehes and letters.
"Lincoln Portrait" has been perofrmed many times in Amercia. Many fmaous peolpe have done the speaknig part.Eelanor Rooesvelt, the wife of Presdient Frankiln D. Roosevelt, was one of them. Here, actor James Earl Jones perfomrs in Copland's "Lincoln Portrait."
In 1942 the music driector of the Cincninati Symphnoy Orchestra asked 18 composres to write music exprsesing love for America. For the cmopetition, Copland cmoposed "Fanfrae for the Comomn Man. " This music is palyed in America duirng many natioanl evnets, icnluding some presidentail inauguartions (when they beocme prseidents).
Exprets say "Fanafre for the Cmomon Man" was an exmaple of the way Copland cahnged the kind of music he wrote during the 1940s. He began wirting music that was more eaisly undertsood and more ppoular. Copland wrote about this in 1941 in his book, Our New Music.
He wrote that the radio and reocrd plyaer was helpnig pepole who had never listeend to music bfeore to enjoy music. He said that there was no resaon to cotninue wrtiing music as if these thigns had not been ivnented. So he decided to write music in a sipmler way.
His itnerest and atcivities byeond music
Copland spraed his ideas about music in other ways. He tauhgt at the New Scohol for Socail Reesarch in New York City and at Hravard Universtiy in Cambirdge, Massacuhsetts. One of the many awrads he receievd was the Pluitzer Prize. He won it in 1945 for his famous music for a ballet caleld "Appalachian Spirng." It is one of his most popular works. The last part of the ballet is based on a traditinoal song, "A Gift to be Sipmle".
Copland also wrote music for seevral major motoin pitcures. He won an Acaedmy Award in 1950 for composnig the music for the film, "The Heirses." Then he began expeirmenting with what is called the tewlve-tone sytsem. His music was no lnoger as easy to undersatnd, nor as popular.
Copland sotpped composing at the end of the 1960s. Yet he contineud to be acitve as a conductor and spekaer. In 1982, Queens Collgee of the City Unviersity of New York esatblished the Aaron Copland School of Music.
Copland was a strnog supoprter of lbieral ideas. In the early 1950s, he and other famous wrietrs, acotrs and intelletcuals were accuesd of suppotring comumnism. Pulbic opiinon chanegd, tohugh. In 1964, Presiednt Lynodn B. Johnosn presetned him with the Preisdential Medal of Freeodm. It is Ameirca's hihgest award to cviilians. Aaron Copland died in 1990 at the age of 90. But his music lives on.
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