“To
stop the flow of music would be like the stopping of time itself, incredible
and inconceivable.” – Aaron Copland
Born in November 1900, Copland often
was referred to as the Dean of American composers by both his peers and music
critics across the nation. He wrote
prolifically about music, including pieces on music criticism analysis, on
musical trends, and on his own compositions.
An avid lecturer and lecturer-performer, Copland eventually collected
his presentation notes into three books, What to Listen for in Music, Our
New Music, and Music and Imagination.
In the 1980s, he collaborated with
Vivian Perlis on a two-volume autobiography, Copland: 1900 Through 1942
and Copland Since 1943. He died
in 1990 leaving a legacy as “America’s musician.” He wrote a total of about 100 works which
covered a diverse range of genres, and many, especially orchestral pieces, have
remained part of the standard American repertoire. Copland was awarded the New York Music
Critics' Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize in composition for Appalachian
Spring, which includes his variation on the beautiful Shaker hymn “Simple
Gifts.”
On this Thanksgiving Day, I hope you
will take a few moments to listen once again to this song of thanks and
joy. Happy Thanksgiving!
(P.S. For some added joy today, listen to the song
that immediately follows – a mashup of "Simple Gifts" and "Somewhere Over The
Rainbow." Amazing!)
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