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Aaron Copland: An Appreciation
The great American composer Aaron Copland probably did more than anyone to liberate classical music from its European roots.
As a classically-trained composer, Copland’s embrace of popular music was not unprecedented, but the way that he integrated folk music and jazz into his compositions certainly was. No matter how often I hear his Pulitzer Prize-winning scores from Agnes DeMille’s “Rodeo” (1942) and Martha Graham’s “Appalachian Spring” (1944), let alone see these ballets performed with orchestra, they seem as innovative as when they were first played and retain an extraordinary freshness.
Please click here to read the rest of this appreciation at Kiko’s House.
