Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

This week, Donald Macleod explores the life and music of Aaron Copland, one of the most distinctive voices in 20th-century American music. From his Brooklyn childhood and formative studies in Paris to his return home with bold new ideas, Copland’s career charts a path through modernism, jazz, and the search for an unmistakably American sound. We hear music that captures the spirit of a nation – from Billy the Kid and Lincoln Portrait to his Fanfare for the Common Man, before he made the move from composer to conductor.

Music featured includes:
4 Dance Episodes from Rodeo: iv. Hoe Down
Two Preludes for violin and piano
Four Early Songs: i. Night; ii. A Summer Vacation; iii. My Heart is in the East; iv. Alone
Four Motets: iii. Have Mercy on Us, O My Lord
Three Moods: i. Embittered; ii. Wistful; iii. Jazzy
Symphony for Organ and Orchestra: ii. Scherzo; iii. Finale: Lento
The Cat and the Mouse
Old Poem; Pastorale
Music for the Theater: i. Prologue; ii. Dance
Piano Concerto
Vitebsk (trio for violin, cello and piano)
Hear Ye! Hear Ye! – ballet in one act: Scene i (Prelude)
Piano Variations
Short Symphony (Symphony No. 2): i. Incisivo; ii. Espressivo; iii. Presto e ritmico
El Salón México
Billy the Kid Suite: i. Introduction: The Open Prairie; ii. Street in a Frontier Town; iii. Mexican Dance and Finale
Letter from Home
Appalachian Spring Suite: v. Solo Dance; vi. Meno mosso; vii. Variation on a Shaker Hymn
Clarinet Concerto
Lincoln Portrait
Fanfare for the Common Man
Two Pieces for String Quartet: No. 2. Allegro Moderato
Piano Quartet: iii. Non troppo lento
Music for a Great City: i. Skyline

Presented by Donald Macleod
Produced by Elizabeth Ajao for BBC Audio Wales & West

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Aaron Copland (1900-1990): https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002p75g

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z