20th Annual Student Research Conference
Fine Arts
"The Songs of Laurie": Music From The Tender Land Explained, Analyzed, and Orchestrated for Solo Tuba With Woodwind Quintet Accompaniment
Allen V. Carter♦
Dr. Jay Bulen, Faculty Mentor
The Tender Land (1954) represents the only full opera written by Aaron Copland and serves as a portrait of rural life in post-depression Middle America as seen through the eyes of the populist composer. Originally conceived for television, Copland and Librettist Horace Everett eventually opted for the stage with marginal results. Although panned by critics, Copland’s last epic work has enjoyed a resurgence of interest along with moderate success as of late. The Tender Land provides listeners with an opportunity to hear Copland’s music at the pinnacle of his compositional maturity.
This lecture recital consists of three sections, focusing on Laurie’s songs (the heroine):
I. Opera Synopsis
II. Harmonic/Motivic analysis, with excerpts
III. Performance by solo tuba and woodwind quintet.
The new orchestration provides the listener with a unique avenue of enjoying Copland’s music, while providing tubists with more music to explore in an idiom often ignored as viable.
Keywords: Music, The Tender Land, Opera, Tuba, Woodwind Quintet, Aaron Copland, Laurie's Song, Analysis
Topic(s):Music
Presentation Type: Performance Art
Session: 19-1
Location: OP 1393 (Performance Hall)
Time: 9:45 am