Copland and Bernstein

Attending a San Francisco Symphony concert is one activity I undoubtedly find intriguing, exciting, and fulfilling in the utmost capacity. Featuring works by Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein, this evening’s performance was one in the “Of Thee I Sing” series, which spotlights Jewish- American Composers of the 20th Century. Opening with the simplistic music from Our Town by Copland, the concert began contemplatively and tranquilly. As is characteristic of his music, Copland used dissonances for texture, with only the occasional moment of purely pungent discord. The work was based around a slow five-note theme that never allowed the work to accelerate or get out of hand. This short rendition of Our Town music was very sedate—almost in a way that intended recollection of fond memories past.
When Copland’s Billy and the Kid Ballet Suite was introduced in the second half of the program I couldn’t help but notice the way that Copland always orchestrated his music in such a way that each section of the orchestra is brought out of the woodwork and allowed to shine. He made it fun for everyone. The violin sections get many a moment to soar through high melodic passages, the violas play a solo or two, the winds have many solos and texturally pleasing duets with the strings and brass, the brass and percussion share numerous bombastic passages. Particularly of notice in Billy and the Kid were the whimsical additions of layered chordal arrangements, a violin solo made up of harmonics, passages of disarray laden with notes a half-step lower than the ear would expect, and grace notes to augment the effect of the discord.
And then there’s Bernstein. He’s prolific. He’s incredible. He’s a legend. Arias and Barcarolles is a song cycle for soprano and baritone. It was originally orchestrated for piano accompaniment only, and was later translated into orchestral accompaniment after his death. The cycle is based around musings and tribulations of family life. From making a joke out of love, to chastising an improper violinist, to telling the story of a harried mother, Bernstein covered a full set of emotions and orchestrally managed to weave Americana and jazz throughout the piece.West Side Story has never been a musical I’ve been particularly crazy about. I’m not crazy about musicals in general. But when you take all the glitz and drama out of it and just leave what Bernstein composed for the play, it can make for a rather fun listen. I have to admit that I felt bad for the musicians when they had to do the finger-snapping bit, because I know that when I was stuck doing “attention grabbing” stunts in a concert I always became a little red in the face. This Latin and Americana influenced piece was very typical of Bernstein. He always had multiple ideas running at the same time in his music. As in many other pieces he wrote, jazz was once again incorporated into this piece. He wrote wonderful trumpet solos, and didn’t leave anyone out of the game. I have to wonder though—with so many classical musicians being somewhat unforgiving to what is valid and what is not, how many of the people onstage tonight were completely disgusted with what they were doing?