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¶ … Copland
The American Sound Still's work combined the traditional elements of a full symphony orchestra (celeste, harp, and tenor banjo) with blues progressions and rhythms. The Afro-American piece of music was written over a three-month period during which he had no steady work.
Many young musicians often hear the phrase American sound and wonder what the concept actually means. Historically, the idea of American sound is music that identifies with America in one way or another during a period in history. American sound may vary slightly from different time periods, but has been centered on important historical topics and ideas that have importance to the specific writer's interest. It is believed by many musical historians that the famous American composers William Grant Still and Aaron Copland created American sound in their works. Still's Afro-American Symphony and Copland's Appalachian Spring embody the conceptual idea of American sound, and the reasons why both author's works are considered American sound will be explained in detail.
Afro-American Symphony
When writing the music, Still believed that black culture (blues music) could be intertwined with the historic elements of classical music (Smith, 2000). Still stated in his journal that "I seek in the 'Afro-American Symphony' not the higher type of colored American, but the sons of the soil, who still retain so many of the traits peculiar to their African forbearers; who have not responded completely to the transforming effect of progress" that is a definite interlude to the…
References
Kamien, R (1997). Music: an appreciation. New York, NY; Mcgraw-Hill College; 3rd edition
Smith, C.P. (2000). William Grant Still: A study in contradictions. Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press.
Besides other awards, he was given a special Congressional Gold Medal by the United States Congress in 1986-87. Copland left an endowment from his estate to a Fund for Composers, which gives $600,000/annum to promote new compositions and performances (Congressional Gold Medial Receipients; Trudeau; Pollack, 548; Rockwell). Musical Examples Copland was an active composer of numerous genres from 1925 to the mid-1960s. His works expressed a new semblance of Americana so
Aaron Copland Outline INTRODUCTION a. The purpose of this paper is to introduce and discuss the life and works of composer Aaron Copeland. It will discuss some of the composer's well-known works, and analyze his contribution to modern classical music. COPLAND'S LIFE COPLAND'S MUSIC COPLAND'S CONTRIBUTION AARON COPLAND The purpose of this paper is to introduce and discuss the life and works of composer Aaron Copeland. It will discuss some of the composer's well-known compositions, and analyze
The piano plays quick octaves and the urgent bass motive portrays an intense wild ride. This strong galloping is also being formulated by the piano's triplet rhythm which allows for the development of the dramatic storyline's urgency. 5. ) There are four different characters in this piece: the Narrator, the father, the son, and the Erlkonig. Although Schubert uses one singer to portray and sing all of the four parts
In other words each music performance is different and the impulsiveness of each performance confirms the concept of indeterminate music. 6) Describe an Indonesian Gamelan. (Textbook p. 282-283) It said that Debussy, when he heard the Indonesian ensemble called gamelan was surprisingly delighted at its diverse and delicate timbers, and decided to use the elements in the impressionistic sound which he was working at developing. The gamelan, a distinctive Indonesian orchestra consisting
Music appreciation [...] my personal attraction to jazz music and some of its composers and performers. Jazz music has been called a particularly American invention, and the many forms of jazz epitomize a successful and exciting country on the move. Jazz encompasses many facets of music, from be-bop to swing, and one testament to jazz's endurance is its continued popularity today. Jazz breathes life into the listener, and embodies
EDSE 600: History and Philosophy of Education / / 3.0 credits The class entitled, History and Philosophy of Education, focused on the origin of education and the "philosophical influences of modern educational theory and practice. Study of: philosophical developments in the Renaissance, Reformation, and revolutionary periods; social, cultural and ideological forces which have shaped educational policies in the United States; current debates on meeting the wide range of educational and social-emotional