Is Aaron Copland Considered The Antithesis Of Super-Consciousness?

American born, but European-trained, Edward MacDowell is known as one of America’s prominent composers during the Gilded Age. With the rise of musical nationalism in America, MacDowell composed Woodland Sketches in 1896, which comprised of ten piano pieces whose titles refer to the American landscape and his personal experiences. The most well-known piece of the ten is “To a Wild Rose.” “To a Wild Rose” highlights MacDowell’s skills as a composer to harvest deep emotions and impressions from the listener from a simple motive; however, it was also an attempt for MacDowell to claim an identity as an American composer.

“There is music in the air, music all around us, the world is full of it and you simply take as much as you require”-Sir Edward Elgar. Elgar was one of the 19th century’s most famous composers. He devoted his life to writing musical pieces such as Enigma Variations, The Dream of Gerontius, and the Pomp and Circumstance Marches. Certain personality aspects of Elgar, such as his wit and creative humor, are found in his music and set him apart from the other composers of his time.

He has provided a tremendous musical voice to the American idiom. As I have learned more about Copland's past and his influences particularly those from Paris I could not help but wonder how all those experiences affected the American sound Copland was seeking. It was then I realize that it was very possible that Copland's American sound could have come from a Parisian essence. From that point I begin to question the notion that Copland's music was indeed not as authentic as most would consider. From there I began to look at other possible discrepancies such as his use of jazz and where is knowledge out jazz came from which was also Paris and not the United States where jazz music was birth.

The History of the Piano The piano has seen many sights and has been a part of countless important events in the past and present, and is said to have dominated music for the past 200 years (Welton). Throughout history, inventions come along that "take art away from princes and give it the people" (Swan 41). Not unlike the printing press, the piano made what was once intangible possible: the poorest of peasants could enjoy the same music that their beloved rulers did. The piano can be played by "the rankest of amateurs, and the greatest of virtuosos" (Swan 41); so even if a person is not very intelligent, a simple tune can easily be learned.

Since the Baroque era, the concerto has played a vital role in the music world. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, a concerto is “a composition for one or more soloists and orchestra with three contrasting movements.” There are two main types: the concerto grosso and the classical concerto; both will be discussed later. While the term concerto is relatively easy to understand in context, when put into use the term becomes more complicated to define.

On his return to Hamburg he ventured, on 21st September 1848, to give a concert on his own account for the first time. The programmed included the adagio and tondo from a concerto by Rosenhain, Dohler?s fantasy on William tell, a serenade for the left hand alone by his master, Marxsen, a study by the fashionable Henri Herz, a Bach fugue, and his own Variations on a Folksong. He early showed as love for the folksong of his fatherland, which he used as themes for some remarkable variations a musical form, by the

The composer that I have chosen to write about is Franz Joseph Haydn. I selected this composer over all the rest because he is said to be the creator of the fundamental genres of classical music. Franz Haydn is considered by some as the father of the symphony and the father of the string quartet. He also influenced and inspired many other composers. For instance, many say Ludwig van Beethoven was one of his pupils. Beethoven is a fundamental composer (so anyone who teaches him is, as a result, fundamental himself). And some even go as far as saying that he was responsible for the success of both Mozart and Beethoven. During the time that he lived (between March 31, 1732 and May 31, 1809) the main element of music was the counterpoint. He, however,

Romantic: of, characterized by, or suggestive of an idealised, sentimental, or fantastic view of reality… concerned more with feeling and emotion than with form and aesthetic qualities.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart baptized as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart lived from January 27, 1756 to December 5, 1791. Mozart was a very influential and prolific composer of more than 600 works, including symphonies, concertante, chamber, piano, opera, and choral music. Regarded as a child prodigy, Mozart composed and performed in the European courts from the age of five, and was engaged at the Salzburg court at 17. Mozart’s musical style can be classified as Classical, although he learned from many of his contemporaries throughout his musical career. In order to better understand Mozart’s genius it is best to begin looking at his earliest contributions to the musical world as a child. From there, an exploration of his

By the year of 1826 when Chopin was just 16 years old he had already composed several different piano pieces all In varying styles. His parents then registered him to attend the the Warsaw conservatory of music. There he studied for 3 years under the guidance of his new mentor composer Josef Elsner.However Shortly after realizing he was in need of a much more extensive music experience. His parents sent him to Vienna, Austria where he started his musical debut. Shortly after he played his two piano concertos in Warsaw. He then left Poland and gave concerts all over western Europe. Not long after his western traveling the Polish insurrection broke out, causing his traveling companions to come home to Poland. Chopin then remained very inactive and gained massive anxiety due to the upheaval of his home.

The classical music period extends from 1740 to 1810, which includes the music of Haydn, Mozart, and the first period of Beethoven. The classical period of music combined harmony, melody, rhythm, and orchestration more effectively than earlier periods of music. With the natural evolution of music slowly changing with the culture, the baroque era had ended. That era had left a structure, articulation and periodic phrasing of music which would shape classical music.

Some of the most well known composers came to be in the in the classical music period. Ludwig van Beethoven was one of the composers, along with other greats of the time like Haydn and Mozart, which helped to create a new type of music. This new music had full rich sounds created by the new construction of the symphony orchestra.

On 17 December 1770, Ludwig van Beethoven was born. He was an amazing and great classical musical composer. He is known for being the most famous composer of the classical and romantic periods of music. According to the “Enjoyment of Music” manual, Beethoven was born in Bohn, Germany. His father, with his grandfather, was the two singers at the court of a local prince, Friedrich Max. (Forney and Machlis 197).

(1) Franz Schubert composed Gretchen am Spinnrade (Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel) in 1814, when he was only seventeen years old. The song is sung by a soprano, and the only accompaniment to the voice is a piano playing a constant rhythmic pattern (“OnMusic”).

Every composer has their own style, which is specific to their own era. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, being a very idiosyncratic individual, was able to make a music and craft a style, that gave him a very distinct place in history. Mozart was a very versatile composer, and explored many different types of genre, while also composing different type of eras of music, however he mainly composed his pieces in classical style. Mozart, a very world renowned composer, was very prodigious from when he was a toddler. His accomplishments are known across the music world, as well as being one of the most talented individuals of all time.