This article is being written close to Thanksgiving, and because I have always thought of Thanksgiving as a truly American holiday, it reminded me about the wonderful classical composers that America has produced. So what better way to introduce you to classical music than through the ears of America. Here are four American-born citizens that all made significant contributions to the field of classical music. It is difficult to separate these composers from other styles such as ballet, musicals or film scores, but even those have all taken on an American flavor. So Celebrate America and be thankful for brilliant American Composers.
Aaron Copeland was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1900, and is considered by many to be the “Dean of American Composers,” simply because his music touches the soul of America. The pieces such as ‘Appalachian Spring,’ ‘Rodeo’ and ‘Billy the Kid’ all use American themes and highlight tunes that are ours alone. The first sample I have is a trumpet fanfare that musically states what has made America ours.
‘Fanfare for a Common Man’
The second sample is an arrangement of the hymn ‘Simple Gifts’ that he used in his piece ‘Appalachian Spring.’
Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts in 1918, and is another giant of American music from both classical compositions to music for the musical theater. Even though Leonard Bernstein had great success in the musical theater he is essentially a classical composer, meaning that his musical palate was originally orchestral and instrumentation. My first sample is from his masterpiece ‘West Side Story.’ The story deals with the struggle of immigration in this country, and the sample is a wonderful dance that has a syncopated rhythm at its heart.
Leonard Bernstein – ‘America’ – from ‘West Side Story’
The second sample is from his play ‘Candide’ which is rarely done as a whole anymore, but the Overture is a wonderful mix of all the tunes used in the play and is beautiful on its own.
Leonard Bernstein - ‘Candide Overture’
George Gershwin was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1898, and along with his brother and lyricist Ira, made a significant name for himself in musical theater (significant points to the fact that their songs have become jazz classics and are still being recorded).
Gershwin wrote two classical pieces that have stood the test of time and are played more now than when they were written. They are ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ and ‘An American in Paris’.
Listen to this rare recording of George Gershwin playing piano on his own composition ‘Rhapsody in Blue.’
John Williams was born in Flushing (Queens), New York in 1932, and is mostly known for his film scores , although he has moved into the classical field with a number of compositions. Here is a sample of the fanfare he was asked to create for the 1984 Olympic games.
‘Olympic Fanfare’
Music moves your life. Listen to it, feel it, sing it, dance to it, enjoy it and remember “How can you ever understand the music your children listen to, if you don’t listen to it yourself.”
See ya – Ron
