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Episode details

Radio 3,09 Jan 2026,59 mins

SeriesAaron Copland (1900-1990)

Maestro

Composer of the Week

Available for 28 days

Donald Macleod closes Copland’s story with a portrait of his later years – a period of transition from composing to conducting and reflecting on a lifetime in music. As new ideas became harder to come by, Copland embraced the podium, championing his own works and those of his successors. His later career reveals a composer turning outward and a biographer looking inwards, balancing public recognition with a quiet, more contemplative life. Two Pieces for String Quartet: No. 2. Allegro Moderato RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet Piano Quartet: iii. Non troppo lento The Julliard Quartet Aaron Copland, piano Music for a Great City: i. Skyline London Symphony Orchestra Aaron Copland, conductor Inscape New York Philharmonic Leonard Bernstein, conductor Symphony No. 3: iv. Molto deliberato Philharmonia Orchestra Aaron Copland, conductor Produced by Ellie Ajao for BBC Audio Wales and West.

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