Aaron Copland - Billy the Kid - Concert Suite (1/3)

Aaron Copland ~ 1900-1990

This is the complete Orchestral Suite, not the Ballet Suite.

Copland's "Billy the Kid" was commissioned by Lincoln Kirstein for his ballet company, Ballet Caravan, in 1938. The hope was to create an "American" ballet, to counteract the Russian tradition so popular in ballet for centuries.

The result, and I'll quote as I know the music but don't know ballet, was, "the first full-fledged American ballet in style and form as well as content," according to the choreographer of the ballet, Eugene Loring.

As I said, I don't know ballet, but I know classical music and this is a wonderful piece of music regardless of the reason for its composition.

Presented here is the first of three sections (I seperated them to make them fit YouTube's 10:00 minute reequirement; hope that doesn't ruin the flow) that make up the entire Suite for Orchestra which came directly from the ballet with very little change from the ballet score. The Suite was split in to 7 pieces by Copland and, though I don't know, and I apologize, where each begins or ends, I'm sure my educated guess as to the end of each piece and the beginning of the next is accurate, but I haven't noted my guesses in the video.

The sections of Copland's Suite are:
I Introduction: The Open Prairie
II Street in a Frontier Town
III Prairie Night
IV Gun Battle
V Celebration (after Billy's Capture)
VI Billy's Death
VII The Open Prairie Again

Performing is the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra led by Erich Kunzel.

Enjoy!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Aaron
• Copland
• Billy
• The
• Kid
• Ballet
• Concert
• Orchestral
• Suite
• Introduction
• Open
• Prairie
• Street
• In
• Frontier
• Town
• Night
• Gun
• Battle
• Celebration
• After
• Billy's
• Capture
• Billys
• Death
• Again
• Cincinnati
• Pops
• Orchestra
• Erich
• Kunzel

[calpatty1808]

I drove an 18 wheeler for 20+ years. I have driven across some of the barren roads out west and the north west. I would pop in this CD and let my mind escape the worries of the day and look out across a wild west backdrop of dancing colors and imagined cowboys and Indians living and riding their pony's. I could almost hear their voices as they rode away and i kept on rolling along. Copland must have been a Cowboy at heart.

[BASSPLAYA1112]

one of the best american composers of all time

[richwes22]

@calpatty1808 I was in the Sandia mountains all alone driving listening to Aaron Copeland's- "our town" and felt the same way surrounded by beauty like his music.

[MrJswift77]

this was used in the movie He Got Game!!!! by spike lee

[cookiebella512]

i always think about playing oregon trail whenever i hear copland

[squeakystool]

@Nirvanarain He never met Jesse James or robbed trains, yet he was invoved in the Lincoln county wars out of New Mexico, do your homework you'll see.

[nudist0885]

Maybe somebody can help me.

I'm looking for a piece that I think is a Copland piece.

I left a great description for it in the 4:08 version of "Fanfare For The Common Man" by Op139.

If anyone can help...Thank You

[dragonettirockstop]

@tigerswimmer009 20th century? I don't know of any "20th century" period. I thought it went to "avant garde", "modernism", and then "post modernism". i could be wrong though.

[harriter88]

this opening section is one the greatest things Copland ever wrote

[youmayfindithere]

6:40 on

[RImusclebear1]

@rosesfororion darling for us Copie fans its on angel!

[Nirvanarain]

@HOMEnHIGH He DID meet Jesse James, he was a pal with him and he was asked if he wanted to join his gang but he said no. Trainrobbing was nothing for Billy.