Aaron Copland is universally recognized as one of the great American composers of the 20th century. He was also a prolific writer, turning out many popular books and essays during his lifetime, and maintaining a detailed diary. This new collection offers the only currently available overview of these important and illuminating writings. It draws on Copland's vast published legacy of books and articles, along with previously unpublished materials, including Copland's diaries, letters, lecture notes, and other materials. These writings give a fascinating, behind-the-scenes picture of Copland that is missing from his "official" writings.

Preface

xvii

Composer from Brooklyn

xix

An Autobiographical Sketch (1939, 1968)

Editor's Introduction

xxxiii

I MUSICAL EXPERIENCE

1

(32)

How We Listen (1939)

3

(5)

Musical Structure (1939)

8

(7)

Tone Color (1939)

15

(11)

Music and the Human Spirit (1954)

26

(7)

II THE LIFE OF MUSIC

33

(90)

The American Composer Gets a Break (1935)

35

(3)

Music Between the Wars (1918-1939) (1941, 1968)

38

(32)

Musical Imagination in the Americas (1952)

70

(13)

Jazz Structure and Influence (1927)

83

(5)

Workers Sing! (1934)

88

(3)

Letter on Varèse and the League of Composers (1972)

91

(1)

Opera and Music Drama (1939)

92

(12)

Tip to Moviegoers: Take Off Those Ear-Muffs (1949)

104

(7)

Second Thoughts on Hollywood (1940)

111

(7)

Composer's Report on Music in South America (1947)

118

(3)

Festival in Caracas (1954)

121

(2)

III THE MUSICIAN'S LIFE

123

(24)

A Note on Young Composers (1935)

125

(3)

Effect of the Cold War on the Artist in the U.S. (1949)

128

(4)

Introducing Shostakovitch at Dinner (1949)

132

(1)

When Private and Public Worlds Meet (1968)

133

(4)

Is the University Too Much With Us? (1970)

137

(3)

Tanglewood's Future (1952)

140

(3)

From the '20's to the '40's and Beyond (1945)

143

(4)

IV PRECURSORS

147

(22)

Defends the Music of Mahler (1925)

149

(2)

The Ives Case (1933, 1941, 1967)

151

(7)

Schoenberg's Expressionism (1941, 1967)

158

(4)

Stravinsky's Dynamism (1941, 1967)

162

(4)

Béta Bartók (1941, 1967)

166

(3)

V CONTEMPORARIES

169

(56)

The Younger Generation of American Composers: 1926-59 (1960)

171

(20)

America's Young Men of Music (1960)

191

(3)

George Antheil (1925)

194

(3)

Darius Milhaud (1929)

197

(5)

Virgil Thomson and Marc Blitzstein (1940, 1968)

202

(8)

Carlos Chávez (1928, 1968)

210

(5)

Stefan Wolpe (1948)

215

(1)

Benjamin Britten (1963)

216

(2)

Elliott Carter (1971)

218

(2)

William Kapell (1954)

220

(3)

Ralph Hawkes (1950)

223

(2)

VI HIS OWN WORKS

225

(58)

Symphony for Organ and Orchestra (1924)

227

(2)

Music for the Theatre I & II (1925)

229

(3)

Dance Symphony (1925)

232

(2)

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1926)

234

(1)

Two Pieces for String Orchestra (1928)

235

(1)

Statements (1934)

236

(1)

El Salón México (1936)

237

(1)

Sextet (1937)

238

(1)

Billy the Kid [Notes on a Cowboy Ballet] (1938)

239

(3)

An Outdoor Overture (1938)

242

(1)

Lincoln Portrait (1942)

243

(2)

Music for Movies (1942)

245

(1)

Fanfare for the Common Man (1942)

246

(1)

Danzón Cubano I & II (1942)

247

(1)

Appalachian Spring [Letters Regarding] (1944)

248

(9)

Third Symphony (1946)

257

(3)

The Red Pony (1948)

260

(2)

Concerto for Clarinet and String Orchestra with Harp and Piano (1948)

262

(1)

12 Poems of Emily Dickinson (1950)

263

(1)

Variations on a Shaker Melody (1956)

264

(1)

Piano Fantasy I & II (1957)

265

(3)

Orchestral Variations (1957)

268

(2)

Dance Panels (1959, rev. 1962)

270

(1)

Something Wild (1961)

271

(3)

Connotations (1962)

274

(2)

Emblems (1964)

276

(1)

Music for a Great City (1964)

277

(1)

Inscape (1967)

278

(1)

Three Latin American Sketches (1959-1972)

279

(1)

Midday Thoughts (1944, finished 1982)

280

(1)

Proclamation (1973-1982, arranged 1985)

281

(2)

VII PERSONAL

283

(78)

From a Composer's Notebook (1929)

285

(5)

From a Composer's Journal (1960)

290

(5)

The Teacher and the Pupil (1960)

295

(1)

Journal from Venezuela Visit (1954)

296

(3)

Latin American Tour Journal (1963)

299

(7)

Letters (1923-1944)

306

(39)

Conversation with Edward T. Cone (1967)

345

(16)

Bibliography

361

(2)

Index

363

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