Suite from Appalachian Spring (1945 orchestration)
Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

THE STORY

Aaron Copland began composing Appalachian Spring in 1943 at the invitation of the prominent dancer and choreographer Martha Graham. Given the working title “Ballet for Martha,” the work was originally composed for 13 instruments. Upon the success of the premiere in 1944, Copland arranged the work into an orchestral suite of eight seamlessly connected movements, cutting several scenes and expanding the instrumentation. The suite was soon performed around the country, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1945. Appalachian Spring is the last major ballet score composed by Copland, following Billy the Kid (1938) and Rodeo (1942)—each representing a significant development in Copland’s accessible yet modern American style.

Set in the early 19th century, the ballet depicts a springtime pioneer wedding in the Appalachian countryside of Pennsylvania. As the couple prepares for life together, they encounter visitors who both warn and encourage them of the highs and lows that life will surely bring. While the work is most often performed apart from the original choreography, Copland’s use of expansive textures, buoyant melodies, and American folk song vividly evokes the pastoral charm and celebration found in the original ballet.

LISTEN FOR

• The serene atmosphere in the opening moments of the work—defined by simplicity, the sustained tones and broad harmonies suggest the tranquility of a spring morning
• The unison strings of the second movement, which suddenly burst forth from the introductory calm; unison melodies throughout the work provide a powerful sense of collective voice and optimism
• The tune from the Shaker hymn “Simple Gifts”—the only borrowed melody in the work—which forms the basis of a theme and variations that bring the piece to its most grand climax before calmly fading away

INSTRUMENTATION

Piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, two trombones, timpani, percussion, piano, harp, strings