The History of "The Red Pony"
By: Jessica Chu
The story of Aaron Copland's life emanates from a family history that is quintessentially American. Born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 14, 1900, he was the youngest child of Russian immigrants Harris M. and Sarah (Mittenthal) Copland. His parents worked hard in their new country, taking advantage of opportunities available under the democratic system. They in- stilled in young Aaron enduring values based on immigrant themes of independence, self-reliance, motivation, self-education, and an incessant striving for something better. Throughout his life, Copland would demonstrate uncommon vision, exceptional talent, noble ideas, organizational excellence, and intense dedication to his art and craft. His extensive influence on and contribution to American music made him one of the most highly regarded composer-musicians of the Twentieth Century.
Aaron Copland's music for chorus reveals his stylistic range, from accessible to challenging, simple to grand, from student works to his mature style. Predating Copland's conscious turn to Americanism, these works bear the influence of European composers like Mussorsgsky, Messiaen, and Stravinsky
Aaron Copland's music for chorus reveals his stylistic range, from accessible to challenging, simple to grand, from student works to his mature style. Predating Copland's conscious turn to Americanism, these works bear the influence of European composers like Mussorsgsky, Messiaen, and Stravinsky
The Red Pony is a film score composed for Lewis Milestone's 1949 production which used John Steinbeck's screenplay based on his short stories The Red Pony. It was composed by Aaron Copland in 1948 at Republic Pictures and an LP (long play) was issued of the soundtrack.
The Suite from the Red Pony derives from Copland's score to the 1948 Hollywood film about a boy and his horse on a California ranch. In 1966, Copland transcribed selections from his 1948 orchestral Red Pony Suite for band. The first two movements -- "Dream March" and "Circus Music" -- depict the boy imagining his pony leading knights into battle, and then performing under the bigtop. "Walk to the Bunkhouse" portrays the cowhand the boy idolized, while "Grandfather's Story" accompanies the old man's tales of his days as a pioneer. The band suite closes with the movie's opening music, originally titled "Morning on the Ranch," reworked into "Happy Ending."
Aaron Copland’s music for The Red Pony (1948-49), based on John Steinbeck’s story
collection, is probably the best known of his film scores. The effectiveness of The Red Pony
score stems from Copland’s belief that film music should be subordinate to the film it
accompanies. Copland composed The Red Pony score using his self-described method of
“assembly,” augmenting this process with devices to synchronize the music with the picture.
Examination of archival sources shows how the score reflects the acknowledged influence of
Igor Stravinsky, the needs of the film medium, and the plot of The Red Pony specifically.
Despite Copland’s modern style characteristics, the music functions much like a conventional Hollywood film score.
collection, is probably the best known of his film scores. The effectiveness of The Red Pony
score stems from Copland’s belief that film music should be subordinate to the film it
accompanies. Copland composed The Red Pony score using his self-described method of
“assembly,” augmenting this process with devices to synchronize the music with the picture.
Examination of archival sources shows how the score reflects the acknowledged influence of
Igor Stravinsky, the needs of the film medium, and the plot of The Red Pony specifically.
Despite Copland’s modern style characteristics, the music functions much like a conventional Hollywood film score.
Copland scored less than 10 films. He arranged three Suites from these: MUSIC FOR A GREAT CITY (pulled from Something Wild,196l); 1943's MUSIC FOR MOVIES (from The City, Of Mice And Men, and Our Town); and the most famous, THE RED PONY SUITE, a case where a good soundtrack is perfect for film, and (with a bit of tinkering) just as effective in the concert hall.
THE RED PONY was finished at the beginning of 1948. Efrem Kurtz requested a Suite be made for performance. Copland obliged and Kurtz conducted the Houston Symphony Orchestra for the first performance in October of the same year. It readily stands next to Copland's other, 'populist' pieces; buckaroo ballets like BILLY THE KID (1938) and RODEO (1942); Martha Graham's APPAlACHIAN SPRING (1944); A LINCOLN PORTRAIT (1942); the opera, THE TENDER LAND (1944), and A FANFARE FOR THE COMMON MAN (1943).
There's no need to have read Steinbeck's novel or seen the picture; the music doesn't need visual cues to make sense. It survives solely on the composer's ability to combine touching melodies, kinetic rhythms, and dramatic harmonies into a powerful whole.
THE RED PONY was finished at the beginning of 1948. Efrem Kurtz requested a Suite be made for performance. Copland obliged and Kurtz conducted the Houston Symphony Orchestra for the first performance in October of the same year. It readily stands next to Copland's other, 'populist' pieces; buckaroo ballets like BILLY THE KID (1938) and RODEO (1942); Martha Graham's APPAlACHIAN SPRING (1944); A LINCOLN PORTRAIT (1942); the opera, THE TENDER LAND (1944), and A FANFARE FOR THE COMMON MAN (1943).
There's no need to have read Steinbeck's novel or seen the picture; the music doesn't need visual cues to make sense. It survives solely on the composer's ability to combine touching melodies, kinetic rhythms, and dramatic harmonies into a powerful whole.
Music has been a part of film almost since the beginning of motion pictures. Music originally had a practical use: to keep the audience from talking. Music is used in various ways in movies: as part of the story as in musicals, as background music within the story (for example, when a character turns on the radio), and as background music to which only the audience is privy. It is used in this way to complement cartoons, comedies, action-adventures, science-fiction, and drama.
The following list contains assumptions made by most people inside and outside of the film industry regarding film scores:
But these statements are little more than opinions until one provides empirical support to back them up. It may be true that senses aid each other, but statements such as these cannot be made in a vacuum. References to studies would add to the credibility of those writing about film music.
Today, movie sound tracks are a business of their own. How about during the silent film area? Was music important? You bet it was. We have all seen clips of silent movies with the piano playing exciting music in the background (added later) as good guys were chasing bad guys. Or, when the hero was on his way to save the damsel in distress. In movie theaters, during the silent era, then later, when sound tracks were added to film stock, music always played an important roll in the movie experience. Music made movies more expressive and helped the movie maker reach further into peoples emotions.
The following list contains assumptions made by most people inside and outside of the film industry regarding film scores:
- Music adds to the emotional quality of the film. There is some empirical evidence to support this: fast and loud music arouses, slow and soft music calms. Motion and emotion are often entwined (Meyer, 1956).
- Music, used skillfully, can cover up otherwise weak directing and/or cinematography.
- The most effective scores are those which operate just below the consciousness of the moviegoer.
But these statements are little more than opinions until one provides empirical support to back them up. It may be true that senses aid each other, but statements such as these cannot be made in a vacuum. References to studies would add to the credibility of those writing about film music.
Today, movie sound tracks are a business of their own. How about during the silent film area? Was music important? You bet it was. We have all seen clips of silent movies with the piano playing exciting music in the background (added later) as good guys were chasing bad guys. Or, when the hero was on his way to save the damsel in distress. In movie theaters, during the silent era, then later, when sound tracks were added to film stock, music always played an important roll in the movie experience. Music made movies more expressive and helped the movie maker reach further into peoples emotions.
Notable Composers that Composed Music for Films
Elmer Bernstein
Bernstein is the ideal film composer, not only is he a pianist and composer he has at different times been an actor and dancer. A prolific composer his work has run the gamut, from scores for such light musical comedies as his Oscar-winning Thoroughly Modern Millie, to lyrical Irish ballads such as My Left Foot, all the way to what his possibly his most familiar work, the soundtrack for the quintessential Western film The Magnificent Seven. When combined with his earlier efforts, composing scores for United Nations radio programs and television and industrial documentaries, and his most recent efforts (which has included such diverse offerings as Ghostbusters and The Age of Innocence) Bernstein has proven himself to one of the American cinema's most versatile composers, able to handle an enormous range of film styles with astounding adeptness
Bernstein is the ideal film composer, not only is he a pianist and composer he has at different times been an actor and dancer. A prolific composer his work has run the gamut, from scores for such light musical comedies as his Oscar-winning Thoroughly Modern Millie, to lyrical Irish ballads such as My Left Foot, all the way to what his possibly his most familiar work, the soundtrack for the quintessential Western film The Magnificent Seven. When combined with his earlier efforts, composing scores for United Nations radio programs and television and industrial documentaries, and his most recent efforts (which has included such diverse offerings as Ghostbusters and The Age of Innocence) Bernstein has proven himself to one of the American cinema's most versatile composers, able to handle an enormous range of film styles with astounding adeptness
Danny Elfman
One of the best film composers in recent years, Elfman got his big break composing the film score for Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985). The film marked Elfman's long term association with director Tim Burton for whom he has subsequently scored numerous other films including Beetlejuice (1988), Batman (1989), and Edward Scissorhands (1990). He is known for his wide use of synthesizers to create scores that add a playful touch. The best example of such playfulness in his music is the theme for Matt Groening's hit TV show "The Simpsons." Some of his other well-known film scores include musical compositions for such films as Weird Science (1985) (title song), Dick Tracy (1990), The Nightmare Before Christmas, (1993), and his oscar nominated scores for Men In Black (1997), and Good Will Hunting (1997). His recent work includes scores for the remake of Planet of The Apes (2001) - which teamed him again with Elfman, Spiderman (2002), and Men In Black II (2002). (Stockton)
One of the best film composers in recent years, Elfman got his big break composing the film score for Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985). The film marked Elfman's long term association with director Tim Burton for whom he has subsequently scored numerous other films including Beetlejuice (1988), Batman (1989), and Edward Scissorhands (1990). He is known for his wide use of synthesizers to create scores that add a playful touch. The best example of such playfulness in his music is the theme for Matt Groening's hit TV show "The Simpsons." Some of his other well-known film scores include musical compositions for such films as Weird Science (1985) (title song), Dick Tracy (1990), The Nightmare Before Christmas, (1993), and his oscar nominated scores for Men In Black (1997), and Good Will Hunting (1997). His recent work includes scores for the remake of Planet of The Apes (2001) - which teamed him again with Elfman, Spiderman (2002), and Men In Black II (2002). (Stockton)
Sources:
www.armyfieldband.com/pages/copland/pdf/chcopland.pdf http://www.npr.org/programs/specials/copland/notes.html http://en.inforapid.org/index.php?search=The%20Red%20Pony%20(1949%20film) http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4195/m2/1/high_res_d/thesis.pdf http://fanfareforcopland.blogspot.com/2007/12/red-pony-original-motion-picture.html http://www.e-filmmusic.de/article1.htm http://musicmakersmagazine.com/Music_and_Silent_Films.html http://www.twyman-whitney.com/film/essentials/music-composers.html |
Picture Sources:
http://tinyurl.com/n7go7da http://tinyurl.com/lrt48qh http://tinyurl.com/qemg6pn http://tinyurl.com/penyssd http://tinyurl.com/k3ha32d http://tinyurl.com/khdow6k http://tinyurl.com/ksw5nea http://tinyurl.com/l62gt2o |