Short (but tough) Copland

Synopsis

On today’s date in 1934, after 10 intense rehearsals, the Orquestra Sinfonica de Mexico, conducted by the Carlos Chávez, gave the premiere performance of the Symphony No. 2 of American composer Aaron Copland.

Copland’s Symphony No. 2 was titled The Short Symphony, but there was a lot packed into its 15-minute duration. He said, “The Short Symphony’s preoccupation is with complex rhythms, combined with clear textures. Sonority-wise, the most rhythmically complex moments have a certain lightness and clarity.”

“Shortly after its Mexican introduction, the piece was announced for an American premiere by Leopold Stokowski with the Philadelphia Orchestra but was never given,” Copland recalled. “A similarly announced performance by the Boston Symphony under Koussevitzsky was also cancelled. Both told me subsequently that they had announced performances because they had admired the work, but that the composition was so intricate from a rhythmic standpoint that they dared not attempt a performance within the allotted period.”

In 1937, Copland recast his Short Symphony as a chamber sextet, leaving the music fundamentally unchanged, but re-barring the score to make it less challenging for performers. It wasn’t until the 1980s, decades after its Mexican premiere, that his symphony was performed by American orchestras in its original form.

Music Played in Today's Program

Aaron Copland (1900-1990): Symphony No. 2 (Short Symphony); San Francisco Symphony; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor; BMG 68541