Aaron Copland

Aaron Copland (November 14 1900–December 2 1990) was an American composer of concert and film music. Instrumental in forging a uniquely American style of composition, he was widely known as "the dean of American composers." Copland's music achieved a difficult balance between modern music and American folk styles, and the open, slowly changing harmonies of many of his works recall the vast American landscape. He incorporated percussive orchestration, changing meter, polyrhythms, polychords and tone rows. Outside of composing, Copland often served as a teacher and lecturer. During his career he also wrote books and articles, and served as a conductor (most frequently for his own works).

External links

• Copland House
• Audio (.ram files) of a 1961 interview for the BBC
• Audio (.smil files) of a 1980 interview for NPR
• American Masters "Aaron Copland" at www.pbs.org
• The Aaron Copland Collection, 1900-1990, Music Division, Library of Congress
• American Composers - Aaron Copland Centennial
• Review of "Howard Pollack, Aaron Copland: The Life and Work of an Uncommon Man" by R. James Tobin
• Who Was That Masked Composer? by David Schiff
• How a composer cowed McCarthy
• Aaron Copland and His World

Listening

• Art of the States: Aaron Copland