Appalachian Spring is a ballet with choreography by Martha Graham and music by Aaron Copland. Copland received a commission to compose a new ballet for Graham in 1942. After many delays (because he was busy writing film scores in L.A.,) he delivered the finished score in June 1944. It was premiered at the Coolidge Auditorium inside what is now known as the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress on October 30, 1944. The production then went on tour across the United States, and in May of 1945, Copland’s score was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music. The following video excerpt contains the most famous section of the music, which borrows the Shaker folk melody “Simple Gifts.”
The video is from a production by WQED Pittsburg in 1959. It features two dancers who were part of the 1944 premiere: Martha Graham herself dances the role of The Bride, and one of The Revivalists’ Flock is danced by Yuriko. The TV production also recreates the original set design by Isamu Noguchi. Both Yuriko and Noguchi – being Japanese-Americans – had spent some part of the war years in internment camps. But Martha Graham did not allow the war, or anti-Japanese sentiment, to stop her from hiring them. And having two Japanese names in the program did not stop audiences from flocking to performances, nor the Pulitzer Advisory Board from granting a prize. I love the fact that one of the most patriotic works ever produced by American artists was also a giant “Fuck You” to the nation’s worst impulses.
Have a great day, everyone!