Aaron Copland and "Quiet City"

Paper Summary:

The paper describes the life and achievements of Aaron Copland, often described as the greatest American composer of the twentieth century, who has been credited with writing some of the most enduring works available to musicians today. The paper notes that Copland was very active in the American music scene, teaching, forming alliances, and even establishing his own publishing company and that his orchestral pieces, ballets, incidental works and changer pieces continue to delight audiences everywhere today. Specifically discussed in this paper is Copland's work 'Quiet City', based on Irwin Shaw's play of the same name which has become one of his most performed pieces. Even though it had a rocky beginning, the paper holds that 'Quiet City' is firmly in the music repertoire defined as a monumental piece.

From the Paper:

"By 1914, Copland started his formal music training, taking private piano lessons from Leopold Wolfsohn in Brooklyn. His debut was in 1917 in the auditorium of the Wanamaker Department Store in downtown Manhattan, performing Paderewski's Polonaise in B. It was also in 1917 that Copland began his formal study of harmony and counterpoint. Copland studied with a student of Dvorak, Rubin Goldmark. During his four years with Goldmark, Copland wrote many short pieces for various piano ensembles."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Berger, Arthur. Aaron Copland. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press Publishers, 1953.
• Burton, Anthony. Quiet City. Liner Notes. Hamburg: Polydor International GmbH, 1986.
• Copland Aaron and Vivian Perlis. Copland - 1900 through 1942. New York : St Martin's Press, 1994.
• Copland, Aaron. Quiet City. United States: Boosey and Hawkes, Inc., 1962.
• ---. Quiet City. New York Philharmonic: Leonard Bernstein, conductor. Hamburg: Polydor International GmbH, 1986.

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