Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland was one of the most important composers of the 20th century in the United States of America. He was born in November 14th at Brooklyn, New York at 1900. Copland learned piano with his sister and when he was sixteen years old went to Manhattan to start learning by Rubin Goldmark. Goldmark oversaw teaching him composition and counterpoint. At this time Copland started learning about the Brooklyn academy and New York symphony orchestra mixing classic styles with a contemporary music. Copland wanted to learn more about the classic European style, and he traveled to Fontainebleau in France. After a couple years Copland wrote his first composition which one was sold to Durand and Sons. This was the most famous music publisher in that time in France.
Aaron Copland searched for more knowledge, and he traveled to the capital of France place where he started studied advanced techniques and new methods with Isidor Philipp and Paul Vidal.
Isidor Phillip was a composer and French composer between 1863 to 1958.Philipp was born in Budapest, Hungary but he lived almost all his life in Paris, France.
Paul Vidal was a music professor, conductor and French composer between 1863 to 1931. Vidal was born in Toulouse, France.
After took all these classes with these legendary music professors Aaron Copland decided to return to United States to begin writing his compositions and be a conductor. Copland decided to extend the “Sound” of the ensemble adding some jazz harmony in the Orchestral pieces.
With the time Copland started to search new techniques and methods for his future compositions. He decided to leave the jazz style to started using a classical style with a different style from other countries to generate increase the public in the concerts. He began to be one of the most important and influential composers in the United States when he was 30 years old. The most famous years of Copland were approximately in 1935 when he was in Mexico with the music professor Carlos Chavez.
Carlos Chavez was a piano player, composer and the first conductor of the Mexico Symphony Orchestra. Aaron Copland combinate Mexican folkloric music with a classical music creating a very famous piece. Copland thought that this popular music with the classical style should create a variety of music. Here is when Copland started composing Ballet and theater music, some examples of these styles are Of mice and Men (Composed at 1939), Our Town (Composed at 1940) and The Heiress (Composed at 1949). These three pieces were considered such as the best pieces. Copland earned the Pulitzer award with the pieces called Appalachian Spring (Composed at 1944) and Agnes DeMille’s Rodeo (Composed at 1942, Premier 16 October 1942 Metropolitan Opera House, New York City).
“Rodeo is a ballet composed by Aaron Copland and choreographed by Agnes de Mille, which premiered in 1942. Subtitled “The Courting at Burnt Ranch”, the ballet consists of five sections: “Buckaroo Holiday”, “Corral Nocturne”, “Ranch House Party,” “Saturday Night Waltz”, and “Hoe-Down”. The symphonic version omits “Ranch House Party”, leaving the other sections relatively intact” (Wikipedia)
Here are links for YouTube or PDF
After a couple decade of composing, he started going down with his age and Copland decide to stop composing to start traveling around the world conducting pieces and giving music lesson around 50 years old. He started been old and when he was 70 years old stopped composing music. He started adding new ideas to his old compositions.
Aaron Copland is considered one of the best American composers of the 20th century. He passed away in December 02 of 1990 in North Tarrytown, New York.
CITATIONS
https://www.loc.gov/search/?in=&q=aaron+copland&new=true&st=
https://library.louisville.edu/music/special-collections/philipp
https://www.loc.gov/resource/copland.phot0014.0
https://music.allpurposeguru.com/2012/10/rodeo-by-aaron-copland/