What’s in a name? Apparently, not much.

Listening to Copland’s Appalachian Spring really does feel like a leisurely stroll down an Appalachian trail on a warm, sunny spring day. The entire opening could be a musical painting of the sun rising over the famed mountain range.

It’s easy to assume that the ballet the music originally accompanied must portray life next to a bubbly creek running through the heart of a small Appalachian town, right?

Not quite!

When ballet choreographer Martha Graham told Copland what name she chose for the ballet, this is the conversation that unfolded:

“Appalachian Spring,” Martha said.

Copland described their conversation: “Oh,” I said, “What a nice name. Where’d you get it?“

She said, “Well, it’s the title of a poem by Hart Crane.”

“Oh,” I said. “Does the poem have anything to do with the ballet?”

She said, “No, I just liked the title, and I took it.”

And over and over again nowadays, people come up to me after seeing the ballet on stage and say, “Mr. Copland, when I see that ballet and when I hear your music, I can just see the Appalachians.” I’ve begun to see the Appalachians myself a little bit.

What is Appalachian Spring really about?

More than the Appalachians, the ballet and its music tell the story of searching for the American dream. A young couple, newly married, settle in a small Shaker town in the Appalachian foothills of Western Pennsylvania, looking to make a new life.

At a point in the creative process, Graham wrote to Copland and said,

“This is a legend of American living. This has to do with living in a new town, someplace where the first fence has just gone up.”

Whether Copland’s music brings to mind brilliant landscapes or a dream worth fighting for, one thing remains true: his score is colorful and inspiring, giving each of us the freedom to paint our own soundscape.

Some material sourced from: www.kdfc.com