COPLAND: Appalachian Spring [CD de audio] Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Copland

The American composer Aaron Copland (1900-90) is one of the most prominent representatives of American modernity. He received instruction from Rubin Goldmark, who was also George Gershwin's teacher. Copland was born in New York as the son of Lithuanian immigrants. As a composer, he always had a strong inclination towards stage music. Copland was closely associated with Leonard Bernstein, whose compositions greatly influenced him. Bernstein in turn was the best director for Copland's works, which were very urban, jazzy and marked by the era of the mechanical revolution in technology. The ballet music Appalachian Spring - here in the version known as an orchestral suite - is, along with Billy the Kid and Rodeo, his best-known work. Like a perfect soundtrack for the American spirit, the track is filled with Latin American rhythms and Western folklore. Some tunes have been frequently used in television advertisements. However, when composing, Copland did not have the Appalachian Mountains in mind: the work was created at the request of dancer Martha Graham and Copland originally called it Ballet Martha. It was only shortly before the premiere that it received this name, after a poem by Hart Crane. The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra comes from New York and is very familiar with the compositions of American artists. The ensemble was founded by Julian Fifer and still works without a director.