Aaron Copland: the story on HearLore

Aaron Copland

Aaron Copland was born in Brooklyn, New York, on the 14th of November 1900. He grew up above his family's store at 628 Washington Avenue. The shop sat on the corner of Dean Street and Washington Avenue. His father worked there as a grocer while his mother sang and played piano. Aaron helped out in the store during his childhood years. Most of his siblings also worked there to support the household. His oldest brother Ralph played violin with great skill. Laurine gave him his first piano lessons when he was young. She brought home libretti for him to study from the Metropolitan Opera School. He began writing songs at age eight and a half. By age fifteen, he attended a concert by Polish composer Ignacy Jan Paderewski. That performance changed everything for the sensitive young man. He decided immediately that he wanted to become a composer.

Paris And Nadia Boulanger

Copland traveled to Paris to pursue further musical studies after graduating high school. He studied initially with Isidor Philipp and Paul Vidal at Fontainebleau. A fellow student suggested he switch to Nadia Boulanger instead. She was thirty-four years old when they met. Her incisive mind appealed to him greatly. She could always find the weak spot in any composition. Copland wrote to his brother Ralph about her sharp intellect. He called her an intellectual Amazon who knew all music from Bach to Stravinsky. They spent three years together in Paris. This period lasted longer than his original plan of one year. Her eclectic approach inspired his broad musical taste. He took classes at the Sorbonne while studying music. He frequented Shakespeare and Company bookstore regularly. Writers like Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein gathered there often. French intellectuals such as Marcel Proust influenced his thinking deeply. André Gide became his favorite author during this time. Travels to Italy, Austria, and Germany rounded out his education abroad. He began writing musical critiques while still in France. His first review covered Gabriel Fauré's work.

When and where was Aaron Copland born?

Aaron Copland was born in Brooklyn, New York, on the 14th of November 1900. He grew up above his family's store at 628 Washington Avenue.

Who taught Aaron Copland music in Paris?

Aaron Copland studied with Nadia Boulanger for three years after switching from Isidor Philipp and Paul Vidal. She influenced his broad musical taste through her incisive mind and eclectic approach to composition.

What major works did Aaron Copland compose during the 1930s and 1940s?

Aaron Copland composed El Salón México completed in 1936, Billy the Kid ballet premiered in 1939, Rodeo shortly after, and Appalachian Spring which opened in 1944. These works established him as an authentic American composer using folk songs and accessible styles.

How did Aaron Copland respond to FBI investigations during the Red scare?

Aaron Copland resigned from participation in leftist groups beginning in 1950 and decried lack of artistic freedom under Soviet Communism publicly. The investigations ceased officially in 1955 though closed completely only in 1975.

When did Aaron Copland die and what caused his death?

Aaron Copland passed away on the 2nd of December 1990 due to respiratory failure caused by Alzheimer's disease. He died in North Tarrytown before his ashes were scattered over Tanglewood Music Center near Lenox Massachusetts.

Aaron Copland

Paris And Nadia Boulanger

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Common questions

When and where was Aaron Copland born?

Who taught Aaron Copland music in Paris?

What major works did Aaron Copland compose during the 1930s and 1940s?

How did Aaron Copland respond to FBI investigations during the Red scare?

When did Aaron Copland die and what caused his death?

Populist Style And Depression Era

Serial Techniques And Late Works

Red Scare And Blacklisting

Conducting Career And Recordings