AARON COPLAND
Aaron Copland, born in 1900, was one of the most respected American classical composers of the twentieth century. Through incorporating popular forms of American music such as jazz and folk into his compositions, his pieces were both exceptional and innovative (Walter. P, 2013). Some of the main elements utilized by Copland include percussive orchestration, changing meter, dissonance and syncopation.
Copland began learning music in the early stages of his life, discovering his love for music at the age of 15 (P. Walter, 2013). When Aaron Copland graduated from school, he continued taking music lessons, ultimately discovering his interest in the classical history and musicians of Europe. Consequently, he traveled to France in 1921, studying at the American Conservatory with Nadia Boulanger (Kamien. R, 2013).
From 1930 to 1950, Copland thoroughly enjoyed composing music for theater, ballet, films, and concerts. It was during this time, in 1938, when Aaron Copland wrote the ballet entitled ‘Billy the Kid’. Copland’s extensive use of folk melodies is prominently exemplified in ‘Billy the Kid’, as well as other well-known ballets, such as ‘Rodeo’ and ‘Appalachian Spring’ (Kamien. R, 2013)
With a thorough background of academic musical training behind him, Copland began composing using technically advanced styles, influenced by European contemporaries such as Igor Stravinsky and Arnold Schoenberg (Walter. P, 2013). He then turned to his own land for inspiration; for example, from the pioneering life in the Appalachian Mountains and the Wild West, to jazz, and African-American music. He successfully combined these influential sources with his highly professional skills to produce beautifully polished music that clearly resonated with an American voice. Copland's music is known to be as vast and magnificent as the land that inspired it (Walter. P, 2013).
Towards the end of his life, Copland’s passion for composition never ended, with his final symphony being published when he was 83 years old. Aaron Copland died in 1990 and in his lifetime, he definitely reached his goal in making people around the world (especially America) realize the importance of music in our lives (Kamien. R, 2013)