For a while after they won their freedom, the Americans turned to Europe for art, including music. It wasn't long, however, before they started looking for a distinctly American sound. They "fought hard," so said Aaron Copland, "to free American composition from the dominance of European models because that struggle was basic to the establishment of an American music." And eventually, American musicians did find their own voice. Here are five of the best pieces to come from the composers of the Land of the Free:
1. Fanfare for the Common Man--Aaron Copland
What better place to start than with the Dean of American Composers himself? The three-minute piece moves at a stately pace, but nonetheless rouses its listeners. One might almost believe that it was written to accompany the painting Freedom of Speech by Norman Rockwell-another American icon. In truth, the Fanfare's creation was brought about by two things: the United States' entry into the Second World War, and Vice President Henry A. Wallace's speecj, where he announced the 'Century of the Common Man.' Now what could be more American than that?
2. Symphony No. 1--Florence Price
Florence Price was roughly a contemporary of Copland. She was aware of her disadvantages, and whenever she wrote to other composers, she opened with: "I have two handicaps - those of sex and race." Price more than overcame these "handicaps," however. She was especially celebrated in Chicago, where in 1933, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra premiered her Symphony No. 1-the first symphony by a black woman to be performed by a major America orchestra. African-American influence echoes in this work, including a Juba dance rhythm in the scherzo, and spiritual-like melodies throughout.
3. Symphony No. 4--Charles Ives
If Charles Ives had been a full-time composer, he might have given Copland a run for his money. He liked to do two things: push the boundaries of tonality, and quote hymn tunes and traditional songs. He does the same in his Symphony No. 4, but to a degree of muli-layered complexity unmatched by the rest of his oeuvre. How complex? The symphony usually requires two conductors to perform. It includes quotations from Beulah Land, Marching Through Georgia, Ye Christian Heralds, Nearer, My God, to Thee, and even Joy to the World.
4. Star Wars--John Williams
With more than 100 film scores--many of them iconic--under his belt, it is difficult to overestimate John Williams' importance as a composer. His score for Star Wars is easily the most recognizable, and there is something about the heroic, intrepid sound of the main title theme that makes it sound American.
5. Afro-American Symphony--William Grant Still
If Copland was the Dean of American Composer, William Grant Still was the Dean of Afro-American Composers. In his Afro-American Symphony, he blends classical forms with African-American culture, and portrays "not the higher type of colored American, but the sons of the soil...who have not responded completely to the transforming effect of progress." Premiered in 1931, it was the first symphony by an African-American to be performed for an American audience by a major orchestra.
This selection was chosen from a longer list originally published by ClassicFM.
