Aaron Copland (1900-1990) was one of the leading spirits in American music
in the 20th century and few U.S. composers, especially during the 30s, 40s
and 50s, were not in some way influenced by his music. While his early
works were considered austere and appealed primarily to a musical elite, he
developed a more accessible style into which he incorporated the peculiarly
American elements of jazz, folk music and spiritual melodies. In the words
of the noted music critic Harold Schonberg, he was "the urbane, respected
symbol of a half century of American music... Copland made the break that
took American music into a powerful, modern, very personal kind of speech."
In this program, Copland performs some of his favorite compositions with
the Los Angeles Philharmonic and jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman. The
program was recorded in 1976.
