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These pages contain program notes written for Redwood
Symphony. You are free to use the information in your own program
notes. If you quote me directly, please attribute it. Thanks!
These notes were edited, amended, and otherwise
improved by Eric Kujawsky, Peter Stahl, and Doug Wyatt.
Barbara Heninger
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Aaron Copland
Old American Songs (Book 1)
Aaron Copland is best known for his compositions that celebrated--and,
indeed, created--an "American" sound, a vernacular that seemed free of
pretensions, with approachable, melodic lines frequently based on the intervals
of the open fourth or fifth. Although Copland wrote in a number of distinct
styles throughout his career, it was his populist works based on folk themes
that won him the most followers.
In 1950, composer Benjamin Britten and his life-long partner, tenor Peter
Pears, asked Copland to arrange a set of American folk songs that they could
perform at Britten's Music and Arts Festival in Aldeburgh, England. Copland
obliged with five songs arranged for male soloist and piano, and Pears and
Britten premiered them in June of that year. Copland himself accompanied
baritone William Warfield at the work's American premiere in New York's Town
Hall in January, 1951. In 1952, Copland arranged a second set of folk songs, and
a few years later he transcribed both sets for performance by vocal soloist with
orchestra.
The arrangements reflect Copland's sensitivity to the text and emotion of
each piece, with tender lyricism for "A Long Time Ago," spirited
bravado for "The Boatmen's Dance," or humorous evocations of animal
noises in "I Bought Me a Cat." The songs' sources are as varied as
their sound. "The Boatmen's Dance" was written by Daniel Decatur
Emmett, the composer of "Dixie." Copland's arrangement juxtaposes the
long, lyrical line of the declamatory chorus against the vigorous verses
describing the boatmen's lively lifestyle. "The Dodger" appeared
during the 1884 presidential campaign of Grover Cleveland, and satirizes a
number of professions, three of which remain in Copland's version: the political
candidate, the preacher, and the lover. Note how differently each verse is
scored to reflect the particular personality of each character. Copland found
"Long Time Ago" in a collection at Brown University Library (along
with "The Boatmen's Song"); the song may have begun as a tune for
blackface performance. Its gentle setting reflects the wistfulness of the
lyrics, recalling a beloved lass who perished long ago. "Simple Gifts"
is a Shaker hymn dating back to 1848. William Warfield later explained that the
composer tried to achieve a recitative quality by putting the chords on the
off-beats, "to be sure it wouldn't be sung with that regular rhythmic
feeling." Finally, "I Bought Me a Cat" brings the set to a
playful close with a children's reciting song. Each verse introduces a new
animal (including a wife), accompanied by a different treatment in the
syncopated accompaniment. It also gives the soloist a chance to show off his
ability to mimic each animal in song!
July 21, 2007
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