What to Listen for in Music - Softcover

Aaron Copland’s well-known and highly regarded compositions, performed and recorded extensively throughout the world, include the Pulitzer Prize–winning ballet Appalachian Spring, as well as Billy the Kid, Rodeo, Lincoln Portrait, and the film scores of Our Town and The Heiress. On being awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 1986, Copland was praised for his “uniquely American music that reflects the very soul and experience of our people.” During his career, Copland taught composition at Harvard and the Berkshire Music Center, lectured all over the United States, and wrote Our New Music and Music and Imagination. He died in 1990.

This is a reprint of the enormously popular 1957 edition of Copland's guide to music. There is no new text by Copland, only a new introduction by composer William Schuman, which is more an encomium to the "Dean of American Music." In large measure, the book owes its success to its simple, jargon-free language and engaging style. One wishes, though, that Copland might have added an assessment of the musical scene of the past 30 years. The bibliography has not been updated and is thus virtually useless, with the most recent entry 1955. Nonetheless, the book remains an excellent guide for the novice. Larry Lipkis, Moravian Coll., Bethlehem, Pa.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.