Appalachian Springs Flashcards
Composer and year?
Aaron Copland
1943-44
What is the story of the ballet originally?
Concerns a pioneer celebration in spring around a newly-built farmhouse in the Pennsylvania hills in the early part of the last century
How are the melodies like American blue grass?
They are continuously moving
How are melodies constructed on open strings on the violin?
Using 4ths and 5ths
Where can you see an example of melodies being very high and very slow?
Figure 2
One of the melodies is what folk song sung by the Shakers which is an American religious group?
Simple gifts
The slower melodies are… Like in the opening. The quicker melodies tend to be… like bluegrass
Legato and quiet
Staccato and loud
Examples of attention to detail?
- - - -
- ‘white tone’
- Accents
- tenuto markings
- ‘At the frog’ at figure 35 which is a violin playing technique indicative of bluegrass
Slow music is… Like open spaces of the USA
Fast music is… like Bluegrass
Quiet
Loud
What is Copland’s use of dynamics like?
Varying and detailed
FFF PPP FFP SF
Describe the texture
- Mostly homophonic
- melodies are always very clear
- chords buildup note by note
- sometimes quite sparse. For example simple gifts comes in on two parts- maybe to indicate open spaces
How are melodies played that gives it a sense of space?
Octaves
What are there bars of?
Silence
Where is the use of Canon?
Figure 60 where bassoon plays first followed by same tune two beats later
Describe the structure of the piece and why
It is episodic as a ballet so progresses through different sections.
The opening comes back just before the simple gift section.
How are the sections very distinct and clear through contrast?
Changes in tempo
Some are very slow others very fast
The harmony is what, what chords are used and what is clear?
Largely consonant
Extension chords (jazz)
Harmonic progressions and cadences
True or false: tonality is not clear
False: tonality clearly goes from major to minor
How many instruments is it written for?
13 instruments
Wind Trio, piano and string
Who has many solos and who tends to accompany?
Many wind solos
Strings tend to accompany
Describe the rhythm
Syncopated- jazz?
Continuous quaver movement-bluegrass?
Give an example of where the metre is a irregular
Bottom of page 47 changes time signature every bar
What emulates stillness and open spaces in the slower sections?
The movement is largely through use of long notes
What is the piece book ended by?
Slow reflective music, perhaps to signify a journey
