Download Copland Lesson - Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra

Aaron Copland
Composition title
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Fanfare for the Common Man
Facts:
Fanfare for the Common Man is just around 3 minutes long
Born on November 14, 1900 in New York City.
His parents were Russian Jewish immigrants.
His older sister taught him to play piano, and when he reached high school, he studied orchestration,
counterpoint and harmony.
He went to Paris to study with the famous Nadia Boulanger. Returning to the United States, he
composed, lectured and wrote a book called What to Listen for in Music.
Copland’s style of writing was influenced by events around him. The listener can hear jazz elements in his
music. Many pieces are about the western United States and cowboys, and when the Great Depression hit, his
music included patriotic and nationalistic elements.
Historical context Fanfare for the Common Man was written in 1942 for the Cincinnati Symphony
Orchestra. The orchestra conductor has asked for a new fanfares to be written by selected American composers
to open each of the concerts during the 1942 - 43 season. Fanfare for the Common Man was one of these.
The piece was premiered on March 12, 1943.
NYS Standards addressed
Standard 2: Knowing and Using Music Materials and Resources
Students will use traditional instruments, electronic instruments, and a variety of nontraditional sound sources to
create and perform music.
Standard 3: Responding to and Analyzing Works of Art Students will respond critically to a variety of
works in the arts, connecting the individual work to other works and to other aspects of human endeavor and
thought.
Standard 4: Understanding the Cultural Dimensions and Contributions of the Arts Students will develop an
understanding of the personal and cultural forces that shape artistic communication and how the arts in turn
shape the diverse cultures of past and present society.
Objectives/Procedures
1. Students will identify instruments aurally.
(Fanfare is scored for 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, a tuba, timpani, a bass drum and gong)
2. Students will list places where playing a fanfare might be appropriate.
3. On barred instruments, students will play the opening rhythmic motive in all of the melodic forms.
Notate the motives on SmartBoard, overhead, board or chart and practice reading them before playing.
4. While listening, students will label the melodic motives in order of appearance in Fanfare for the
Common Man. Use trial and error, listening to the opening bars several times.
5. Try tapping/clapping or your own method of finding the beat. Notice how difficult it is to find if the
meter of Fanfare for the Common Man is in twos or threes. Lead students to discussing why a fanfare
might be in a given meter and why the nature of a fanfare might be in a rhythm that does not sound like
marching or dancing. A fanfare is meant to get and hold your attention.
6. While listening to Taps, students will identify the instrument. It can be played on many instruments;
define the difference between a bugle and a trumpet. Bugles have no valves and can play the overtone
series tones by adjusting the lips. If a student plays a trumpet, have her perform Taps for the class and
notice that she never uses the valves, providing she plays it in the key of C major.
Listening Repertoire
1.
Fanfare for the Common Man, a rock version
Album – Works, Volume 1
Emerson, Lake and Palmer
2.
Fanfare for the Common Man, a jazz version
Album - Live in Warsaw
Woody Herman
3.
Third Symphony, Fourth Movement
Aaron Copland used the Fanfare as the main theme for his own symphony
Materials
A recording of Fanfare for the Common Man
A recording of Taps
Student trumpet player and trumpet
Vocabulary
fanfare
Pictures
Youtubes to download and show the class
1. “Fanfare for the Common Man”
a. NY Philharmonic James Levine
b. Wonderful because the camera zooms on the instruments as they are featured
c. Korean subtitles on the screen can be distracting
2. “Fanfare for the Common Man”
a. From tubatromonekid
b. Shows a portrait of Aaron Copland in front of an American flag, giving a visual memory that he
is an American composer
3. “Aaron Copland”
a. While Fanfare plays, there are photos of American scenery, events and Copland’s handwritten
score of the piece
b. From petlover4life
Indicators of Success:
Observation of students playing motives
Written observation of identifying instruments
Prior Knowledge:
Students should have prior knowledge of
• Orchestra, families of instruments
• Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Tuba, Timpani, Bass drum, Gong
Follow-up:
Extensions:
A. Fanfare has been used to open many important events
and shows. Here are a few. Add more to the list.
1. CBS Sports Spectacular opened the show with the piece.
2. The piece is played for Chicago Bears home games during the first time the Bears’ defense takes the
field each season.
3. Most recently, on January 18, 2009, it was played at the beginning of “We Are One: The Obama
Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial.”
B. Research the list of all eighteen Fanfares that were written for the Cincinnati Symphony for the 1942-43
season. Choose another fanfare and composer from the list to study.
C. Notate Taps on a staff, learn the solfeggio for it and come to the conclusion that one sings the same
three words over and over. From there, teach chord ,and tonic chord.
Aaron Copland
Born:
Brooklyn on November 14, 1900
Died:
France
Education
Marriage:
Occupation
Studied in Paris
Never married.
Composer, conductor, teacher
Compositions:
El Salon Mexico
Appalachian Spring
A Lincoln Portrait
Respected American composer
Noted for:
The music you
will hear at the
concert
Fanfare for the Common Man