Who wrote Appalachian Spring?

Who wrote Appalachian Spring?

• A. Copland
• B. Rossini
• C. Elgar
• D. Vivaldi

Answer: (A)

Authorship of Appalachian Spring centers on identifying its composer. Appalachian Spring is a ballet score written by Aaron Copland in 1944 for Martha Graham, capturing an American pioneer setting with open, spacious melodies that characterize Copland’s distinctive American sound. The work later exists as a concert suite for orchestra, which helped cement Copland’s reputation in the U.S. music scene. A memorable feature of the score is the incorporation of the Shaker tune Simple Gifts, woven into the music. The other composers listed—Rossini, Elgar, and Vivaldi—are from different eras and styles and did not write this piece, so Copland is the correct writer.

Authorship of Appalachian Spring centers on identifying its composer. Appalachian Spring is a ballet score written by Aaron Copland in 1944 for Martha Graham, capturing an American pioneer setting with open, spacious melodies that characterize Copland’s distinctive American sound. The work later exists as a concert suite for orchestra, which helped cement Copland’s reputation in the U.S. music scene. A memorable feature of the score is the incorporation of the Shaker tune Simple Gifts, woven into the music. The other composers listed—Rossini, Elgar, and Vivaldi—are from different eras and styles and did not write this piece, so Copland is the correct writer.