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COMPOSER: AARON COPLAND (1900 - 1990)(AIR.an KOPE.land)

COMPOSITION: “Hoedown” from the ballet Rodeo

FEATURES:1. Wood blocks – percussion prominent is called the subject2. Fiddle tunes incorporated – “Mrs. McLeod’s Reel” and “Bonaparte’s Retreat.” 3. Full orchestra4. Listen for strings

BACKGROUND:The Composer: Aaron Copland was an important 20th century American composer. Although he

was the son of Jewish immigrants and grew up in New York City, he is most often associated with a distinctly western American sound. He wrote many pieces using North American folk songs and modern “jazzy” rhythms.

The Composition: “Hoedown” is from a ballet. It makes us imagine a real square dance. It is music to dance to. The piece uses two North American “fiddle tunes” for its themes. “Fiddle” is a nickname for a violin often associated with country or folk music. Copland has the violins play the fast, flashy passages to remind us of the fiddle tunes.

The fiddle tunes are “Miss McLeod’s Reel” (sometimes called ‘Hop High Ladies’ or ‘Uncle Joe’) and “Bonaparte’s Retreat”. As a fiddle tune, “Bonaparte’s Retreat” is often played on two strings at once to give a “drone” effect. Copland mimics this effect with the held bass notes in the orchestra.

QUESTIONS: What do you hear that reminds you of cowboys? [woodblocks sound like horses gallop]What instruments play those sounds? [see above]

SOME POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES:1. Draw a picture of a cowboy or western scene this music brings to mind.2. Draw a picture of what you imagine dancers might look like dancing to this ballet music.

(There is video footage available of legendary ballerina Agnes DeMille dancing this number. If you can find it, watch it!)

3. Learn Miss “Miss McLeod’s Reel” (See the next page.)4. Listen to recordings of different versions of the fiddle tunes (my own recordings are included

in the CDs you can order from www.MusicKit.com/listen. Many other recordings of these common fiddle tunes are available)

5. Listen for the bass drone, (a single long held low note). Raise your hand if you hear it.6. Discuss this American dance music and how it differs from Handel’s “Minuet” and other

dance music.