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. Frontmatter List of Illustrations (page ix) Acknowledgments (page xi) Abbreviations (page xv) Introduction: The Course of Empire (page 1) PART ONE. ARTHUR FARWELL'S WEST 1. The Wa-Wan and the West (page 23) 2. Western Democracy, Western Landscapes, Western Music (page 56) PART TWO. WESTERN ENCOUNTERS: CHARLES WAKEFIELD CADMAN AND OTHERS 3. Encountering Indians (page 87) 4. Staging the West (page 124) PART THREE. AMERICAN PASTORALS 5. West of Eden (page 155) 6. Power in the Land (page 179) 7. Harvest Home (page 204) PART FOUR. ROY HARRIS: PROVINCIAL COWBOY, WHITE HOPE 8. How Roy Harris Became Western (page 227) 9. Manifest Destiny (page 246) 10. The Composer as Folk Singer (page 268) PART FIVE. AARON COPLAND: FROM ORIENT TO OCCIDENT 11. The Saga of the Prairies (page 293) 12. Communal Song, Cosmopolitan Song (page 317) 13. Copland and the Cinematic West (page 351) Conclusion: On the Trail (page 369) Notes (page 375) Selected Bibliography (page 421) Index (page 437) 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. 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