There is distinctive American style of music which has no name, but you know it when you hear it. I could call it Americana, but that name is also used in other ways. The music of Aaron Copland could be used to define the genre, but the style is more expansive than that. This music combines classical (or jazz and popular) elements with "roots music" (gospel, folk, blues) to create music which we immediately recognize as distinctively American.
Beyond that, I can not tell you more. You have to listen to it. The first selection, which is the short (0:57) but beautiful original theme of the PBS program The American Experience, will give you an immediate sense of what I'm talking about. I have always loved this music, which romanticizes a country which doesn't exist and never did.
- The American Experience, original theme — composed by Charles Kuskin
- music from the The Natural — composed by Randy Newman for the 1984 movie
- Appalachian Spring — composed by Aaron Copland (original shorter version for chamber orchestra)
- Letter From Home — Pat Metheny, from The Road To You (live album, 1993)
- Symphony No. 1 (Afro-American) — composed by William Grant Still, 1930
Thanks as always Dave for the musical escape route today.
Talking of romantic music flowing from American hands, I humbly refer you to Pat Metheny's Into The Dream.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljqV056wKf4
Imagine if this member of Homo sapiens was typical of our species. I would hazard a guess that there would be no empire and no decline.
Hope your weekend is joyful ;-)
Posted by: Oliver | 01/26/2013 at 01:01 PM