Aaron Copland

Aaron Copland (b. 1900–d. 1990) was an American composer active for much of the twentieth century. Known as the “Dean of American Composers,” Copland cultivated an accessible, modern sound at a time when musical experimentation was in vogue. His hallmark style (often referred to as “imposed simplicity”) consisted of simple melodies, mostly diatonic harmonies, sparse textures, and an abundance of open fourths and fifths. Copland initially turned to film in the 1930s as a potentially lucrative means for disseminating his music more widely and for ensuring his financial stability during a time of economic depression. He would score two documentaries and six feature films in total. His work on The City (1939), a documentary, put Copland on Hollywood’s radar and helped secure him a contract with Lewis Milestone for Of Mice and Men (1939). John Steinbeck’s moving tale of friendship and cash-strapped cowboys proved the perfect vehicle for Copland. Coupled with his speeches and writings on the best practices—and potential—for advances in film scoring, Copland’s Americana-infused score would earn him a reputation in Hollywood as a “mover and shaker”—at least for certain types of movies. Deviating from the late-Romantic predilections of his contemporaries, Copland presented a fresh alternative from the industry norm. His next score for Our Town (1940) helped solidify the connection between the composer’s “imposed simplicity” and notions of “America.” Copland resumed writing chiefly for the concert hall in the 1940s, producing many acclaimed works like A Lincoln Portrait (1942), Rodeo (1942) Appalachian Spring (1944), and the Third Symphony (1944–1946). Yet Copland did not abandon the movies completely. He returned to Hollywood to score The North Star (1943), a World War II propaganda film. Toward the end of the decade, Copland took on two film projects back to back. The Red Pony (1949), based on another Steinbeck novel, saw Copland returning to previously explored themes of cowboys and the western frontier. But The Heiress (1949) offered Copland the opportunity to move in a new direction, into the realm of period psychodrama. The story of a jilted heiress seeking revenge on her ex-lover necessitated a different kind of score than the ones Copland had experimented with earlier, and he won an Oscar. Copland would score one more film years later in 1961, the psychological drama Something Wild. Although Copland channeled much of his energy into composing for the concert hall during his lifetime, his legacy as a path-breaking film composer remains firmly ensconced in film music history. Generations of composers inspired by the broader oeuvre of “the Dean of American Composers” have since provided moviegoers echoes of the dean’s storied past.