The songs of Aaron Copland

The published and unpublished songs of Aaron Copland for solo voice and accompaniment are discussed, complete with salient information about the texts. Each of the songs is analyzed as to formal structure, rhythmic and melodic styles, harmonic techniques, and treatment of the voice. In the discussions of Copland's most extensive work for solo voice. Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson, the published versions of the songs are compared to the original manuscripts. The Copland adaptations of Old American Songs are compared to the original versions of the nineteenth century folk and popular songs upon which Copland based his adaptations. A summary of the biographical and musical events surrounding the composition of each song (or song cycle) is given, and the stylistic relationships between Copland's songs and his other musical works are discussed.