COPLAND, Aaron
b Brooklyn, New York, 14 November 1900
d 2 Dec. 1990, Peekeskill, NY aged ninety

His parents were Russian-Jewish emigres, who had little interest in music. From 1917 he studied for four years with Rubin Goldmark, then in 1921 he went to Paris to study for three years with Nadia Boulanger, returning to the USA in 1924. In 1925 he won a Guggenheim Fellowship, which was renewed in 1926. Since then he has led an extremely active life as a lecturer, pianist and conductor. He has written four books on musical subjects, and the highest international honours have been showered on him.

1923 (23)

As It Fell Upon a Day, for soprano, flute and clarinet

1924 (24)

Symphony for organ and orchestra

1925 (25)

Grogh, ballet

Dance Symphony (1922-5)

Music for the Theater, suite for small orchestra

1926 (26)

Piano Concerto

1928 (28)

Symphony No 1 (an orchestral version of the Symphony for organ, minus organ)

1929 129)

Symphonic Ode (revised 1955)

Vitebsk, study on a Jewish theme, for piano trio

1930 (30)

Piano Variations

1933 (33)

Symphony No 2, Short Symphony

1934 (34)

Statements, for orchestra

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!, ballet

1936 (36)

El salon Mexico, for orchestra

1938 (38)

An Outdoor Overture

Billy the Kid, ballet and orchestral suite

1940 (40)

Quiet City, orchestral suite for trumpet, English horn and strings

1941 (41)

Piano Sonata

1942 (42)

Danzon Cubano

Rodeo, ballet

fp A Lincoln Portrait, for narrator and orchestra

1943 (43)

Violin Sonata

1944 (44)

Appalachian Spring, ballet and orchestral suite

1946 (46)

Symphony No 3

1948 (48)

Concerto for clarinet and strings, with harp and piano

1950 (50)

Piano Quartet

Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson, for voice and piano

1951 (51)

Pied Piper, ballet

1954 (54)

The Tender Land, opera in three acts

1955 (55)

Symphonic Ode

A Canticle of Freedom, for mixed chorus and orchestra (revised 1965)

1957 (57)

Orchestral Variations

Piano Fantasy

1959 (59)

Dance Panels, ballet in seven sections (revised 1962)

1960 (60)

Nonet for strings

1962 (62)

Connotations, for orchestra

Down a Country Lane, for orchestra

1964 (64)

Music for a Great City, for orchestra

Emblems for a Symphonic Band

1967 (67)

Inscape, for orchestra

1969 (69)

Inaugural Fanfare, for wind

An Evening Air, for piano

1971 (71)

Duo for flute and piano

1972 (72)

Three Latin-American Sketches

Threnody I, for flute and string trio

Night Thoughts, for piano

Vocalise, for flute and piano

1973 (73)

Threnody II, for string trio

1982 (82)

Midday Thoughts, for piano

Proclamation, for piano