AARON COPLAND Fanfare for the Common Man
“ Music that is born complex is not inherently better or worse than music born simple .” – Copland
ABOUT THE COMPOSER
Born 1900 in New York , NY ; died 1990 in North Tarrytown , NY
• Born in Brooklyn , Copland was the son of Russian Jewish immigrants who lived in an apartment above the store his family owned .
• His sister studied opera and gave Copland his first piano lessons . He began composing music at just eight years old and played in dance bands in New York City growing up .
• As a young adult , Copland moved to Paris where he studied with the famous Nadia Boulanger . Upon his initial return to the U . S ., Copland composed music in a modernist style . However , due to the hardships of making a living during the Great Depression , Copland then turned toward a more popular and accessible style .
• Copland is considered the “ Dean of American Music ” and has written for orchestra , opera , and film . His music captures a part of the American landscape , and he has influenced countless other American composers who have come after him .
THE WORLD AT A GLANCE
1942
MUSIC “ Fats ” Waller ’ s “ Jitterbug Waltz ”
ART Edward Hopper ’ s Nighthawks
ABOUT THE PIECE
• This piece was written for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 1942 . The work was inspired by a speech given earlier that year by then-U . S . Vice President Henry Wallace . In this speech , Wallace proclaimed the dawn of the of the century of the common man .
• This majestic work , written for brass and percussion ensemble , has been used regularly throughout pop culture – such as the opening theme song for CBS sports , Superman ( 1978 ), Saving Private Ryan – and was played at the opening of President Obama ’ s 2009 inauguration celebration .
LITERATURE Agatha Christie ’ s The Body in the Library
HISTORY The Manhattan Project begins
8 BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA