The exploration of sonorities and chordal relationships in Aaron Copland’s In The Beginning

I. Biographical overviewA. 1900-1990

1. New York areai. One of the first well-known American-born composers

a. Popularity began to rise in 1940sB. Studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris (1921)

1. Inspired Copland’s attention to detail in compositions2. Wrote first choral work during this time

i. Four MotetsC. Assistant director of the Berkshire Music Center

1. Inspired by Sergey Koussevitzkyi. Became a standard of “courage” and “vitality” in a mundane musical world (Pollack,Grove)

D. Compositional influences and style1. Composed at the piano2. Recycled ideas into new works3. Emphasized self-awareness during the creative process4. Distinctly American style

i. Interest in nationalistic focusii. Felt a strong need to have listeners identify with the music

a. Music should have its own characteriii. Open 5ths / open chordsiv. Triad outline (ascending and descending)

a. Not as part of a pattern, but rather as a melodic statementb. Usually sparsely accompanied

v. Influence of jazz, folk, and popular music of the time5. Four periods of compositional style

i. Early jazzii. Severe and abstractiii. “Amerciana,” influenced by popular songiv. Late 12-tone

6. Frequent skips and leaps7. Simple, with very little chromatic flourish or ornamentation8. Motivic

i. Simple germ idea expanded, augmented, and varied9. Contrapuntal techniques

i. Canon most common devicea. Distinctive open styleb. Transparent texture while still having contrapuntal interest

II. In the BeginningA. Written in 1947

1. Harvard Symposium on Music Criticism2. Premiere conducted by Robert Shaw on May 2, 1947

B. SSAATTBB1. Mezzo-soprano soloist

i. NarratorC. UnaccompaniedD. Text: Genesis 1-2:7

E. Three main sections1. Divided by text topic areas

F. Motives1. Representation of Copland’s minimalistic approach to thematic material2. Opening motive (Example 1)

i. Begins each part and is the foundation from most of the melodic material3. Cadential motive (Example 2)

i. Completes each parta. Present in every day except the sixth, seventh, ninth, and tenthb. Within the piece, it ascends with each cadence

1. Cb, Db, D, Eb, F#, GG. Declamatory setting of text

1. Impassioned speech2. “Sprechstimme” and chant combined

i. Recitative styleii. Revolving around fixed tonal points

3. Example 3

H. Pyramid effects1. Entrance of voices with sfortzando successively2. Different pitch levels3. Sustaining

a. Word painting on “light”4. Example 4

I. Melodic characteristics1. Preference for disjunct over conjunct motion2. Principle technique of melodic construction is motivic

a. Development of longer melodic lines from the cells that he has createdi. Repetitionii. Augmentationiii. Suspension

3. Intervals of perfect 4ths and major 3rds commona. Both ascending and descending

b. Example 5

J. Sonorities1. More than 102 different sonorities

a. Harmonic fluctuation commoni. Numerous key changesii. Key stated does not always refer to tonal centeriii. No true key signature from the beginning of the work

b. 467 spacing and doubling variationsi. Two- to eight-part doublingii. Common to double the bass tone

1. Not always the tonicc. Also doubles perfect 4th, perfect 5th, minor 3rd and major 3rd frequently

2. Triadic sonoritiesa. Used frequently, but not always in the traditional form

i. Interspersed between more complex sonoritiesii. Function is not part of the traditional chord progression

3. 4 and 6 very commona. 6

i. Example 6

4. Relationship between soloist and accompanying voicesa. Polytonal in verses 1, 3, 4, 10b. Example 7

K. Rhythmic Devices1. Multiple meter changes2. Long, compound measures without dotted bar lines3. Alternation of duple and triple compound subdivisions

a. Example 8

4. Use of duple and triple subdivision simultaneouslya. Example 9

III. Tonal and Motivic OverviewA. Part I

Measures Thematic Material Texture Tonal Center1-13 Opening motive Monodic D13-17 Ionian and Locrian scales Contrapuntal D to Bb18-21 Opening motive Homophonic Bb22-30 Opening motive variation Homophonic Bb31-39 Extension of opening motive Homophonic G to Eb40-42 Cadential Motive Homophonic Cb

B. Part II

Measures Thematic Material Texture Tonal Center43-51 Recitative motive Homophonic Ab to Cb52-62 2nd recitative motive Contrapuntal Transitional63-70 New material Homophonic Bb71-73 Cadential motive Homophonic Db

1. Recitative motive derived from the opening motive

C. Part III

Measures Thematic Material Texture Tonal Center74-82 Variation on recitative Homophonic Bb-Db83-92 New material Homophonic Eb93-99 Opening motive Contrapuntal Transitional100-113 Variation/extension of opening

motiveHomophonic C

113-128 Repetition of lastvariation/extension in new key

Homophonic A to F#

129-131 Cadential motive Homophonic D

1. New material is similar to measures 63-70

D. Part IV

Measures Thematic Material Texture Tonal Center132-137 Patter-song recitative Monodic/

homophonicF#

138-142 Continuation of material Homophonic B143-158 Paired imitation Contrapuntal B159-168 Variation of opening motive Homophonic Transition169-172 Cadential motive Homophonic D

E. Part V

Measures Thematic Material Texture Tonal Center172-183 Variation of opening motive Contrapuntal Eb184-188 Continuation of material Homophonic Eb189-195 Continuation of material Contrapuntal Db196-206 Similar to opening statement Homophonic F207-210 Variation of cadential motive Homophonic F#

F. Part VI

Measures Thematic Material Texture Tonal Center211-225 Similar to 100-113 Homophonic B225-237 Similar to 113-128 Contrapuntal B238-244 Transitional Homophonic Db to Bb

G. Part VII

Measures Thematic Material Texture Tonal Center245-261 Derived from opening motive Monodic D to F#262-273 Continuation of material Contrapuntal Transitional274-290 Variation of opening statement

of partHomophonic F#

H. Part VIII

Measures Thematic Material Texture Tonal Center291-310 Descending chromatic motive Monodic F#311-321 Similar to 63-70 Homophonic Ab to Bb322-325 Cadential motive Homophonic G

I. Part IX

Measures Thematic Material Texture Tonal Center327-336 3/2 and 2/2 section Homophonic B337-350 Continuation of material Homophonic F# to C#

J. Part X

Measures Thematic Material Texture Tonal Center350-354 Rhythmic motive Homophonic C# to A355-364 Augmentation Contrapuntal C#365-372 Based on part I Contrapuntal F#372-375 Scalar canon Contrapuntal C#376-389 Variation on opening motive Homophonic Eb

1. Canonic materiali. Lydian scale around F#

IV. Rehearsal ConsiderationsA. Limiting use of piano

1. Just intonation versus equal / stretch temperamenti. Using the piano does not allow sections to fully understand the pure intonation needed

to keep composition in tuneii. Table of frequency differences between two types of tuning

Interval Ratio to FundamentalJust Scale

Ratio to FundamentalEqual Temperament

Unison 1.0000 1.0000Minor Second 25/24 = 1.0417 1.05946Major Second 9/8 = 1.1250 1.12246Minor Third 6/5 = 1.2000 1.18921Major Third 5/4 = 1.2500 1.25992

Fourth 4/3 = 1.3333 1.33483Diminished Fifth 45/32 = 1.4063 1.41421

Fifth 3/2 = 1.5000 1.49831Minor Sixth 8/5 = 1.6000 1.58740Major Sixth 5/3 = 1.6667 1.68179

Minor Seventh 9/5 = 1.8000 1.78180Major Seventh 15/8 = 1.8750 1.88775

Octave 2.0000 2.0000

iii. Table of differences in note frequency between two types of tuning (in Hz)

Note Just Scale Equal Temperament DifferenceC4 261.63 261.63 0C#4 272.54 277.18 +4.64D4 294.33 293.66 -0.67Eb4 313.96 311.13 -2.84

E4 327.03 329.63 +2.60F4 348.83 349.23 +0.40F#4 367.92 369.99 +2.07G4 392.44 392.00 -0.44Ab4 418.60 415.30 -3.30A4 436.05 440.00 +3.94Bb4 470.93 466.16 -4.77B4 490.55 493.88 +3.33C5 523.5 523.5 0

(Tables supplied by Michigan Tech Department of Physics)

a. If minor 3rd interval is not pure initially, the ensemble will lose almost .02b. When compounded by repeated statements of that interval, the foundation pitch

begins to descendc. Choice of tonal center

1. Major differences between the tuning on specific pitchesi. If that is the tonal center of a specific part of the work, then the

tuning becomes a major focus2. Use of piano as tuning foundation

i. Analyze tonal center for each sectiona. Play either the pedal tone or 5th

1. Alternating octavesb. Gives harmonic foundation

1. Allows singers to hear function of their pitch within the context of thechord

B. Warm-ups1. Focus on 3rd and 4th leaps2. Disjunct melodic ideas3. Have warm-ups ascend and descend by 3rds instead of chromatically4. Construct warm-up exercise from opening motive5. Construct exercise based on cadential motive6. Construct exercises that focus on the Ionian, Locrian, and Lydian scales

Works Consulted

Berger, Arthur. Aaron Copland. New York: Oxford University Press, 1953.

Brookhart, Charles Edward. The Choral Music of Aaron Copland, Roy Harris and Randall Thompson. MM:George Peabody College for Teachers, Aug. 1960.

Copland, Aaron. In the Beginning. New York: Boosey and Hawkes, 1947.

Pollack, Howard. Copland, Aaron. Grove Music Online, accessed 25 May 2007.

Robertson, Marta and Robin Armstrong. Aaron Copland: a guide to research. New York: Routledge, 2001.

Skowronski, Joann. Aaron Copland: A Bio-Bibliography. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1985.

Smith, Julia. Aaron Copland. New York: E.P. Dutton and Company, 1955.