Frontier Figures: American Music and the Mythology of the American West (California Studies in 20th-Century Music Book 14)

Frontier Figures Is A Tour-de-force Exploration Of How The American West, Both As Physical Space And As Inspiration, Has Animated American Music. Examining The Work Of Such Composers As Aaron Copland, Roy Harris, Virgil Thomson, Charles Wakefield Cadman, And Arthur Farwell, Beth E. Levy Addresses Questions Of Regionalism, Race, And Representation As Well As Changing Relationships To The Natural World To Highlight The Intersections Between Classical Music And The Diverse Worlds Of Indians, Pioneers, And Cowboys. Levy Draws From An Array Of Genres To Show How Different Brands Of Western Americana Were Absorbed Into American Culture By Way Of Sheet Music, Radio, Lecture Recitals, The Concert Hall, And Film. Frontier Figures Is A Comprehensive Illumination Of What The West Meant And Still Means To Composers Living And Writing Long After The Disappearance Of The Frontier.--page 4 Of Cover. Introduction: The Course Of Empire -- Part One. Arthur Farwell's West : The Wa-wan And The West ; Western Democracy, Western Landscapes, Western Music -- Part Two. Western Encounters : Charles Wakefield Cadman And Others: Encountering Indians ; Staging The West -- Part Three. American Pastorals: West Of Eden ; Power In The Land ; Harvest Home -- Part Four. Roy Harris : Provincial Cowboy, White Hope: How Roy Harris Became Western ; Manifest Destiny ; The Composer As Folk Singer -- Part Five. Aaron Copland : From Orient To Occident: The Saga Of The Prairies ; Communal Song, Cosmopolitan Song ; Copland And The Cinematic West -- Conclusion: On The Trail. Beth E. Levy. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Frontier Figures is a tour-de-force exploration of how the American West, both as physical space and inspiration, animated American music. Examining the work of such composers as Aaron Copland, Roy Harris, Virgil Thomson, Charles Wakefield Cadman, and Arthur Farwell, Beth E. Levy addresses questions of regionalism, race, and representation as well as changing relationships to the natural world to highlight the intersections between classical music and the diverse worlds of Indians, pioneers, and cowboys. Levy draws from an array of genres to show how different brands of western Americana were absorbed into American culture by way of sheet music, radio, lecture recitals, the concert hall, and film. Frontier Figures is a comprehensive illumination of what the West meant and still means to composers living and writing long after the close of the frontier. Dedication 8 Contents 10 List of Illustrations 12 Acknowledgments 14 Abbreviations 18 Introduction: The Course of Empire 20 Part One. Arthur Farwell’s West 40 1. The Wa-Wan and the West 42 2. Western Democracy, Western Landscapes, Western Music 75 Part Two. Western Encounters: Charles Wakefield Cadman and Others 104 3. Encountering Indians 106 4. Staging the West 143 Part Three. American Pastorals 172 5. West of Eden 174 6. Power in the Land 198 7. Harvest Home 223 Part Four. Roy Harris: Provincial Cowboy, White Hope 244 8. How Roy Harris Became Western 246 9. Manifest Destiny 265 10. The Composer as Folk Singer 287 Part Five. Aaron Copland: From Orient to Occident 310 11. The Saga of the Prairies 312 12. Communal Song, Cosmopolitan Song 336 13. Copland and the Cinematic West 370 Conclusion: On the Trail 388 Notes 394 Selected Bibliography 440 Index 456 Examining the work of such composers as Aaron Copland, Roy Harris, Virgil Thomson, Charles Wakefield Cadman, and Arthur Farwell, this title addresses questions of regionalism, race, and representation as well as changing relationships to the natural world to highlight the intersections between classical music and the diverse worlds of Indians. This title is an exploration of how the American West, both as physical space and inspiration, animated American music. The book is a comprehensive illumination of what the West meant and still means to composers living and writing long after the close of the frontier