Aaron Copland
Appalachian Spring Suite (1945)

“The Gift to be Simple” – Aaron Copland evokes this ideal in his celebrated work Appalachian Spring, whose final movement extensively quotes the famous hymn melody. It is music of inner peace and sincerity, clear and unadorned, like an “Appalachian spring.” Here, however, the English word spring does not primarily mean springtime, but rather a spring of water flowing into a brook in the Appalachian Mountains, a vast range in the eastern United States. The title originates from a long poem by Hart Crane, which celebrates the “white veil” of the cascading stream: “O Appalachian Spring! I gained the ledge; / Steep, inaccessible smile that eastward bends.”

This section of Crane’s poem is titled “The Dance” – a direct link to the origins of Copland’s piece. It was conceived as ballet music for the famous choreographer Martha Graham, whose company introduced modern dance theatre to the United States. The collaboration was made possible by patron Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, who dedicated her wealth mainly to promoting contemporary chamber music. Appalachian Spring was originally written as a ballet for just 13 instruments and premiered in this form in Washington in 1944, earning Copland the Pulitzer Prize. A year later, he orchestrated the music for a larger ensemble and arranged a suite, which has since become a cornerstone of the American repertoire. The title was invented by Martha Graham, who believed the Appalachian region represented the “roots of American folk culture.” This mountain range is often seen as the heartland of the pioneer spirit.

The ballet scenario, in Copland’s words, describes “a celebration of the first settlers in springtime around a newly-built farmhouse in Pennsylvania in the early 19th century.” The main characters are a bride and groom, their neighbours, and a preacher. The eight sections of the suite offer glimpses into the young couple’s life on the farm (and since the story is set in spring, the word spring regains its seasonal meaning after all). Following a serene introduction, we meet the bride and groom. The preacher speaks, square dancing begins, fiddler music enlivens the scene. The most famous section is the penultimate one: the variations on “The Gift to be Simple”, a Shaker melody. The Christian congregation of the Shakers, a Quaker offshoot, was dedicated to industriousness and high education, which made them a wealthy and influential group along the East Coast in the 19th century. Their name derives from the verb to shake, referencing their shaking dance as a form of prayer. This might have inspired Copland to use this simple yet beautiful melody in a ballet. At the end, the couple is left “quiet and strong in their new house.” Over the farmhouse door might well hang a Shaker motto: “Hands to work, hearts to God.” Muted strings play a hymn-like passage, revisiting the opening mood. Just as peacefully as the day began, it draws to a close.