Lincoln Portrait

[Squarf1]

@freakhyena as much as I like zombies, even I don't think that's a good idea.

[musoderelict]

Do we not need these words even more than ever?

[bensdadfrank]

@musoderelict Damned straight. Our Soldiers, Sailers, Airmen and Marines, both male and female, hold these principles dear, but unfortunetly, our leaders , it would seem, do not. Profit over principle. Sad.

[Cruiserfrank]

I hate to ask this if it has already been answered, but was this narrated by Gregory Peck?

[JeanValjean1830]

Muy buen video, lástima que el relator no sea tan bueno. Recomiendo la versión de James Earl Jones

[Ypipable]

He had this way of making 'responsible government' Responsible.

[lordaltros]

"... that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the Earth."

well.

it did.

its more like of the business, by the business, and for the business now

[lordaltros]

the narrator is Gregory Peck

[wholzman2]

The "Lincoln Portrait" of which we hear on this site that has Gregory Peck, is by far the greatest. version of this work. Mr. Peck's great voice says it all.

[bw01a]

It is unbelievable that some in our dull-headed media have compared barack milhouse nobama to President Lincoln. We could use a REAL Abraham Lincoln today. Yeesh.

[welles2002]

Brilliant, Pecks narration is just the right tone, i'm actually seeing this in New York with chris noth doing the narration with the Philharmonic of the Americas should be interesting, I'm going to upload one I recorded in 1986 with james whitmore from the televised celebration for the 100th anniversary of the statue of liberty.

thanks for sharing this

[mesquiteguy1221]

I LOVE THIS VERSION WITH GREGORY PECK

[ThoughtTraveler]

I am ashamed as an American to realize Obama occupies the same office that this Great Man did. Horror!

Our Republic is over......

[mesquiteguy1221]

@ThoughtTraveler AMEN

[jslasher1]

Gregory Peck is the speaker.

[zipper179]

Sellaseat, you've caused me to square my shoulders, every time I hear this..I have you to thank..I hold my head a lot higher..

[wefasdf23]

The music says more than the images. Where the words and images end... the music begins.

[marcostar57]

Wonderful, moving tribute ... Copeland's music really captures the essence of Lincoln. Great video accompaniment, too.

[jslasher1]

@marcostar57 It's Copland without the 'e'.

[marcostar57]

@jslasher1 Sorry! Heaven forbid..Mr. Copland must be rolling in his grave! (Why is his name pronounced with a long o sound?)

[jmk1975]

I'm playing this part in orchestra now, and the clarinet 1 part has some really high notes in it, up to 2 A's above the treble staff.

[billyguns2]

Peck is terrific, but you really must hear Adlai Stevenson in this, my personal favorite. I have such mixed feelings about the tyrant/dictator/emancipator/in­spiring leader who was Abraham Lincoln. I have no such mixed feelings about George Washington, even though he was a slaveholder. History as it is taught is such a collection of lies, exaggerations, and propaganda it is difficult to ferret out truth.

[ballabogan]

morgan freeman would be a great narrator for this song. but gregory peck doesn't do a bad job either. Atticus Finch!

[EagleOnTheRhine]

@ballabogan I have a recording where James Earl Jones narrates

[BeechTreeITS]

I'll agree. I love this piece and Peck is by far my favorite version. His voice just seems to blend perfectly with the music.

[The1stLumiens]

Peck happens to be one of my favorites. I can hear 'ol Atticus Finch telling me about the war, slavery, right and wrong, and why the law must be for all men or for none.

[Turnback]

You ever thought about re-editing this? It's a fantastic montage but you could use some video editing software to insert images in the breaks. Thanks for explaining those, by the way, now it makes sense.

[SierraFaithYT]

Happy Birthday Mr. President.

[BGLart]

the sounds is fucked up yo homo

[aaround]

Happy Birthday Aron Copland

[rustydusty40]

me and abe share the same birthday. what a great president he was..

[dwinner624]

Henry Fonda narrated this piece years ago on a Copland anniversay album (still have it). He also did an excellent job with it. I haven't been able to locate it on the web, yet.

[mesquiteguy1221]

dwinner624:

Thank You, You just helped settled a debate for me with another person, Who was trying to tell me that I was wrong about this recording. I had forgotten however that this one was done by G.P.

[AlannTH]

My Favourite was the cinicinate symphony narrated by katherine Hepburn, her voice is incredible.

[aaround]

Great American composer

[manlyman80345]

You know, I can really see that. I think that the most of us can agree that, although it would be an easy choice, Gregory Peck would be an incredible Lincoln had he ever had the opportunity to play him on the screen or stage.

[zarenda]

The narrator is Leonard Nimoy.

[MrGnaes]

inspirational and beautiful

[Joohhvis]

Slavery was the "pink" herring in the 1860's. It wasn't red. I think US society and economy were finished with slavery then, with America growing out of the Colonial days and industry rising in the north. The south wanted to keep hold of their ways of things, rich on plantations with free labor, today, an abomination. ?

Change is difficult. Proof is that we had a Civil War over it. Can you imagine something so vital to make you go out in the woods in a uniform? I can't.

[zeppelinfreak51]

Does anyone know what orchestra this is? Im thinking CSO, but Im not sure

[junkmailboy1000]

5:06 - looks he's tying Lincoln's shoes and Lincoln's patting him on the head to say good job.

[TheFrenchiesRock]

We're playing this in my school's orchestra. It's a great piece.

[Nightshift10000]

A Great Tribute to possibly the Greatest President that our Nation has ever had, or will ever have again.

[Nightshift10000]

Your Country? We're all American's and it's called the United States Of America, as far as I'm concerned Lincoln did nothing wrong with keeping this Great Nation United.

[CarolJWright]

Saw the SF Symphony perform it, with the great actress Lauren Bacall as narrator. It was during the July 4 performance at Shoreline Ampitheatre in Mtn. View, CA. With the building impact of the possible election of Obama as president, and the noblity of Ms. Bacall, it was a gripping experience. Probably a bit of a stretch to even think of a woman narrating this great piece. It was unforgettable. And in ten minutes, she was done.

[vintageldy]

This is an EXCELLENT VIDEO...you did a very good job!!! You caught the very essence of Lincoln in images; and of course the masterwork of Aaron Copeland! I listen to this every President's Day and the official B-day. Don't let the cynical remarks get you on here! They are rascist...

[MattPodell]

I love this piece I'm playing this at Carnegie Hall as a junior in high school. So moving and insiprational how Copland wrote this it pretty much shows that the average man can do anything.

[mclaine33]

Hey Matt

Yo it is me Steve

I saw you comment.

I will send you a friend invite

[Saraculture13]

This piece is so moving. It'd be so nice to listen to this while gazing over tall plains with the sun setting.

[procommenter]

Man's inhumanity to Man is a running, seemingly inescapable, theme throughout human history. The titular head of America's great 19th century bloodletting was Abraham "Hitler" Lincoln. Septicemia ruled the countryside throughout the mid-1860's. Forbearance demands forgiveness. Somehow, some way, righteousness shall triumph.

[tbmmoe]

Let's be clear, the Civil War NEVER would have occured if slavery were not the issue. Some of the founders had seen the problem, but decided to kick the can down the street for the sake of political expediency. The restrictions enacted by the federal government terrified southern leaders. They gave propagandistic reasons for the war because NO ONE, north or south wanted the war to be about slavery until they were forced to confront this fact. ALL the revision in the world will not change that.

[crunchbite22]

If not for slavery, the southern states would have found another issue to push in the way of states' rights. The federal government would have overridden them on the issue, and the southern states would have succeeded.

[tbmmoe]

Perhaps, but that will remain an unproven hypothetical. The historic fact is that slavery was THE issue. It is debatable whether any other issue would have been as intrinsic to the perceived 'southern' way of life and comerce.

[Nightshift10000]

Very well said and very true might I add.

[freakhyena]

GO LINCOLN. COME BACK TO LIFE PLZ.

[ThaddeusWalters]

I really enjoyed this video! My one problem: Why so many blank areas? Realizing that these occurred when Gregory Peck wasn't speaking, I still would've enjoyed some sort of period pictures! I'll take that a step further and say that I missed the beginning portions of the piece!

But that's OK. Most excellent job!

[sellaseat]

Thanks for your comment. This video has "blank areas" because it was edited as a live performance piece. The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra performed the work and there was a live narrator, the video went along with that and was projected onto a 12ft x 12ft screen above the orchestra.

[ThaddeusWalters]

Bet that was really cool!

[ThaSchwab]

Ooh, when? And with whom?

[GREELEYPHIL]

Do you know who to contact to rent this video for our orchestra?

[Rbrandon1958]

@sellaseat

I would love to use this video for a Miami Performance of this piece. Is this possible?

[xosweetea]

@sellaseat i have to do the same thing. i was looking at this for inspiration. 

[Kain781]

This song is amazing...it was supposedly written for a professional band, but my high school band is doing it lol. I hope we don't butcher it o.o

[gabetvc15]

composed by aaron copland

[JMartins1981]

And to think a raging racist just won the office of President. :(

[eotto2001]

As I hear or read the anti-Lincoln comments it strikes me that as we move to the new age of virtual if not real slavery of globalism, we have to have a form of socialization among the common man that sees such as a good thing. To have Lincoln suggesting otherwise goes against the collective and corporation mentality of the mass man. The words from this came from the Lincoln-Douglas debates that predated the war. If one is literate, then one can also read the Coopers Union speeches to his views.

[DIE999999999999]

Lincoln was a tyrant of the worst kind, the war was not faught over slavery (Lincoln himself said so), and Southern soldiers were not fighting for slavery. This video is nothing more than a perfect example of abject idolatry and nationalism. Before you dismiss my statements as the ravings of a lunatic:

"This war is not about slavery." -Robert E. Lee.".

If I thought this war was to abolish slavery, I would resign my commission and offer my sword to the other side. -Ulysses S. Grant

[mfitz54]

Lincoln was this country's greatest President.

There is no escaping the fact that this war was fought over slavery, the most evil institution perpetrated by the people of this country. Lincoln was the first President to do anything about it. He was a great man.

[DIE999999999999]

How can you say this in spite of all the evidence?

"My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and it is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it."-Abraham Lincoln

Congress announced to the world on July 22, 1861, that the purpose of the war was not "interfering with the rights or established institutions of those states"(i.e., slavery),but to preserve the Union "with the rights of the several states unimpaired."

[SKIP8829]

Your thesis contradicts the points you go on to make! Lincoln & Grant, along with Lee, were "on the same page" as to WHY the war was being fought-and slavery WASN'T the overriding reason, but rather the sanctity of the Union vs. states' rights(the southern concept of it).

[DIE999999999999]

There is no contradiction between my thesis and the points I go on to make. Fail.

[ORagnar]

Skip8829 -- slavery was ended. Lincoln did make the executive order called the Emancipation Proclamation. So, you are contradicted big time by the evidence. America came into existence in a world where slavery was the norm and they ended it. This is the context of America that is not taught, and it is the truth. Lots of low lives out there are trying to down play America's greatness to their ever lasting shame.

[Tommmaaayyy]

1) The emancipation Provlomation only freed slaves in the states which were "in opposition to the United States" so effectively did not free a single person.

2)We were not even close to being the first country to outlaw slavery. Sorry. Not only were we one of the LAST countries to do so, we only did after the bloodiest war ever fought at that time.

3) Slavery in the US did not end until the 13th ammendment in 1865, after pretty much every other civilized country did so without violence.

[ORagnar]

Tommmaaayyy -- It led to the freeing of slaves. It created the impetus to free slaves. The slaves *were* freed. In 1776, and even before, the Founders set the ball rolling to spread freedom, which included freeing the slaves. The battle in America started with America's creation. The bloodiness of the battle was a measure of the moral desire to end slavery. And, really, recognition that slavery was wrong was the new idea, as per Lockean rights.

[ORagnar]

Tommmaaayyy -- another point. Modern thinkers who ridicule America by taking out of context the monumental achievements of the countries as a rule could not hold a candle to the greatness of men like Jefferson, Madison and Washington. Typically, in fact, muliculturalists today support slavery with the phrase "They have the right to their culture", see Islamic countries for details.

[tpsabres]

Sorry ORagnar...I'm going to have to go with Tommmaaayyy on this one. The civil war was fought to preserve the union and the freeing of slaves was just a fortunate byproduct. The slaves were freed mainly to weaken the Confederate states by eliminating the South's main source of labor.

[SKIP8829]

You miss my POINT! LINCOLN'S GREATNESS IS UNQUESTIONED. But, Lincoln noted that his mission was to SAVE THE UNION, even if he didn't have to free one slave to accomplish it!;)...And Lincoln KNEW that removing "institutionalized slavery" would be largely powerless FOR GENERATIONS:'( in dismantling the hatred and bigotry within the hearts of society THAT WERE THE CORNERSTONE OF SLAVERY!! We Americans must be more dispassionate in our reading of history, so as to more deeply understand history!

[Tommmaaayyy]

No real conspiracy here. The Civil War was not about slavery at all. It's what I've been taught since I first learned it in school. It was about preserving the union, no doubt, but Lincoln was personally an abolitionist. His quote that if he could preserve the union without freeing a single slave is often misrepresented: he was saying that preserving the union was more important to him than any political issue.

[Turnback]

That argument suggests the south left the nation to preserve the union. Does that make sense? Didn't think so. The south was a planter class society that depended on the toil of free forced servitude. The politicians were in bed with the planters and together they chose to leave when they no longer had a voice in DC. It was not about slavery? Revisionist bullshit, I'm sorry but it is. It was entirely about slavery. Slavery had no place in a civilized nation. What school did you attend?

[Tommmaaayyy]

Obviously the south did not leave the union so they could preserve it. They left it, like you said, because they had lost their voice in government. Sure slavery was part of southern society, but let's not forget that there were 5 slave states fighting for the union for the duration of the war. The south was fighting to be free, the Union to be whole. Slavery became a war goal with the Eman.Proc., which was mostly an effort to rally slaves who had escaped to the north to fight for the union.

[Joohhvis]

We so need a Lincoln now...

[sonny51261]

I wish Lincoln was running for president this year, I would so vote for him.

[ChuckyJesus666]

He is...this time his name is Barack Obama..

[renandstim]

Red Sox designated RHP Lincoln Holdzkom for assignment.

Holdzkom is sporting a 5.24 ERA with a 26/31 K/BB ratio at Triple-A Pawtucket. The Sox lost him in the Rule-5 draft last year, but there's a good chance he'll clear waivers this time around

[marktwain4president]

There was a PBS documentary done a long time ago called Lincoln - the best I've seen. The composer, Alan Menken, is quite influenced by Copland's works, but his score was better than Copland - more dramatic, heroic, cohesive, melodic... unforgettable. It is a difficult score to find but well worth it. I think if you enjoy Copland you will enjoy Menken's Lincoln even more. Some of the most powerful and stirring music I've heard.

[MyFaveDoctor]

this is still thrilling after all these years

[McDrummerSLR]

Fuck you

[McDrummerSLR]

I am playing the timpani in this piece for the CVHS concert in a few weeks.

[voidintentions]

Haha, I'm playing timps for this this week, too. :] awesome timp part

[McDrummerSLR]

Sweetness

[McDrummerSLR]

I know, but there is too much counting lol

[jewboy11505]

no way! im playing tuba for this part at cvhs. yay us!

[rjrj21]

We got this piece in band, and ARE playing it for our Spring Concert (the whole thing).

[terranterror1]

Yeah, the first part of the piece would be nice. My band got this piece and we _are_ playing it, but I'd like to hear how it is supposed to sound...

[bandboy10]

wheres the beging of this peice?

[TheUltimateBandGeek]

Better yet, where is the first half the piece? we got this piece in band this semester (not playing it, thank god) but this piece is about 15 minutes long.

[greenwavetigers]

This was a very moving, tremendous video. Thanks for posting.

[billserve]

>...During most of his presidency, most northerners thought Lincoln was an INEPT LEADER.

Nonsense. He achieved overwhelming victories in both the 1862 midterm and 1864 Presidential elections.

Many in his cabinet thought he was nothing more than a BUFFOON...

More nonsense. Their writings revealed great admration.

>Often, greatness is appreciated only in hindsight.

Or so George W. Bush's delusional apologists would have us believe.

[quaker91]

Those sentiments can be overblown, but certainly Lincoln was less than popular during much of his tenure. Lincoln, going into 1864, writes that he is doubtful of his re-election prospects. Like with Iraq, many northerners were simply sick of war...but during the Civil War Lincoln carried on, and with the long success won most of them over by the time the election rolled around.

[TruthWholeTruth]

Your comments, although probably TRUE, have nothing to do with greatness or goodness. OR...what is popular among the majority in times of war and other serious issues does not determine one's greatness or goodness. The masses, in times of great trouble, usually think, choose, and act wrong with great selfishness. (So then what determines greatness and goodness?) Maybe hindsight and God ...But certainly not mankind during times of great tribulation.

[glosterfox]

I first heard this music on a British Radio Station this morning and was immediately enthralled. I have long enjoyed the voice of Gregory Peck who seems to have given this piece a real sense of meaning the text of which should be a beacon to all free-living members of the human race. Thanks for showing this.

[stonegator]

I have a James Earl Jones version of this and it's incredible.

[refich]

When I listen to this and look at your wonderful pictures,I cannot help but mourn over what we have become. Where are today's Lincolns?

[BLinin]

This is a fantastic question. But we must know something about Lincoln and remember it:

During most of his presidency, most northerners thought Lincoln was an INEPT LEADER. Many in his cabinet thought he was nothing more than a BUFFOON.

Most southerners opposed his policies so much that they tried to leave the Union.

Often, greatness is appreciated only in hindsight.

I appreciate the poster's video. I also recommend the recordings by J. E. Jones and Charlton Heston.

[crasmane]

I believe that his leadership was questioned.

If it had been disparaged, he certainly would have been impeached.

From what I can tell, he was not.

There were no mass desertions from the Union Army.

There was some insubordination, but it was never a crisis.

Ineptitude? Buffoonery? Generally they call for more organized and sustained responses, don't you think?

[BLinin]

I was NOT trying to say that Lincoln was not a great president. I believe he WAS great - precisely because he stood by his convictions - even when they were unpopular or controversial. Some members of his cabinet DID think he was an incompetent buffoon. The war was NOT supported by many northerners, and blamed Lincoln for 3 years of losses.

My point was that presidents are often unpopular and criticised WHILE they are president. Truman is another.

BTW, u can't impeach 4 poor leadership

[BungoBoyinBigCity]

We would do well to remember Lincoln's suffering and compassion during wartime, as well as his ability to speak from the heart. Those are qualities not found in our unhappy country today!

[tuckwell77]

Wish you had used the whole piece and not started in the middle. It's such a great piece.

[pianist1972]

Agreed....though congrats on the montage!!

[billinrio]

who is the narrator? it sounds like Heston or Gregory Peck.

[sellaseat]

Gregory Peck

[EagleOnTheRhine]

@billinrio Did Gregory Peck ever play Lincoln? He would have filled the role very well.

[mverlen]

@EagleOnTheRhine Yes, Peck played Lincoln in the miniseries The Blue and the Gray. Good series.

[Shota871]

Lincoln Portrait is probably Copland's most uplifting and moving piece. Great video.

[Joohhvis]

Thank you for putting this on YouTube...

[ctraini]

Yes. Thank you.