American Musical Nationalism: From Ives to Copland
American Musical Nationalism
After independence in 1776, the newly formed nation sought to establish a distinctive cultural identity, capturing the essence of 19th-century European and Native American elements amidst waves of immigration. Following the Civil War in 1865, the United States experienced an economic boom, fueled by new technologies, transportation, labor, and protectionist policies. This period witnessed the founding of conservatories and the construction of grand auditoriums for instrumental ensembles.
Two Trends in American Music
Two distinct trends emerged in American music. One followed the European Romantic tradition of composers like Brahms, Schumann, and Schubert, embraced by academics in Boston. The other, influenced by Liszt and Wagner, sought a uniquely American musical language, drawing inspiration from African American, Native American, pop, and folk themes.
Dvorak’s Influence
Czech composer Antonín Dvořák played a significant role in shaping American musical nationalism. His “Symphony No. 9, “From the New World,” composed in 1893, incorporated African American and Native American melodies, inspiring American composers to explore their own folk traditions.
The Rise of American Musical Nationalism
The development of American musical nationalism lagged behind its European counterpart, as the young nation was initially subordinate to the established powers of the Old World. Nationalism in the Americas was often intertwined with political movements advocating for societal transformation. The most prominent examples of American musical nationalism emerged in the United States with composers like Charles Ives and Aaron Copland, Argentina with Alberto Ginastera, Cuba with Leo Brouwer, and Brazil with Heitor Villa-Lobos.
Charles Ives (1874-1954)
Charles Ives was a pioneering figure who broke free from European traditions, forging a new musical language that synthesized various nationalist traditions, including Native American folklore and African American musical elements. He is considered a precursor to the American experimentalist movement.
Ives’s Musical Innovations
Ives incorporated elements of African American music, such as ragtime, Afro-Cuban rhythms, and the band tradition. He employed polytonality, polyrhythms, and even wrote for pianos tuned to quarter tones, anticipating later developments in microtonal music. His compositions often featured open forms, randomness, and clusters, foreshadowing aleatoric music.
Isolation and Experimentalism
Ives’s musical isolation during his most prolific period (1895-1917) contributed to his experimental approach. His music was largely unknown and unperformed until the 1930s, allowing him to develop his unique style independently of his contemporaries. His experimentalism encompassed atonality, microtonality, and collage techniques, but without relying on the jazz repertoire. He drew inspiration from Catholic hymns, humanistic ideals, and popular songs, transforming and placing them in new contexts, often distorting them beyond recognition.
Characteristics of Ives’s Music
Ives’s music is characterized by its progressive nature, often written for small ensembles or solo instruments. He drew inspiration from urban folk festivals, popular songs, and marching bands, creating an eclectic fusion of influences. He rejected the traditional concept of a fixed score, believing in an open-ended approach to composition. Ives frequently reused fragments of his previous works, as exemplified in his “Three Pieces for Piano in a Quarter Tone” and “Concord Sonata.” His music often exhibited a tendency towards symbolization, reflecting his interest in transcendentalism, which he approached as an intuitive and individualistic philosophy, rejecting hierarchical structures.
The 1920s: Jazz and Traditionalism
The 1920s in the United States were marked by isolationism, with restrictive immigration laws, and a period of significant economic expansion that ultimately culminated in the stock market crash of 1929. This era witnessed two divergent trends in American music: the rise of jazz, influenced by African American musical traditions, and the emergence of American traditionalism, which sought to create a distinctly American musical identity while drawing upon European influences.
Jazz
Jazz originated in the African American communities of New Orleans, blending elements of African American musical traditions, spirituals, and European-influenced music from military bands and dance orchestras. By the late 19th century, African American marching bands, modeled after white military bands, had become a prominent feature of the musical landscape. Around 1890, these bands began to shrink in size, evolving into jazz bands, typically consisting of cornet, clarinet, trombone, tuba, banjo, and piano. These ensembles incorporated functional harmony and a driving 2/4 rhythm.
The Evolution of Jazz
In the 1920s, jazz underwent further evolution with the emergence of big bands in Chicago, featuring more skilled musicians and emphasizing improvisation. The 1930s saw the rise of swing, which transformed jazz into a popular music phenomenon. Jazz also began to interact with classical music, with European composers like Ravel and Stravinsky incorporating jazz elements into their works.
George Gershwin
George Gershwin achieved success by incorporating jazz elements into his compositions, bridging the gap between classical and popular music.
American Traditionalists
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