Celebrating American Classics: Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite and Clarinet Concerto Featuring Kellan Toohey
No program honoring American music would be complete without works by Aaron Copland. The audience will experience both his Appalachian Spring Suite and Clarinet Concerto.
Composed in 1944 for the distinguished dancer and choreographer Martha Graham, the music for the Appalachian Spring ballet won the Pulitzer Prize in May 1945. Copland then orchestrated the suite, and it premiered with the New York Philharmonic the following year. His love for folk melodies is a defining characteristic of this piece.
The Suite consists of eight seamless sections depicting the celebration of a young newly married couple. The seventh movement, Simple Gifts, which often steals the spotlight, draws inspiration from the Shaker hymn of the same name that Copland found in a 1940 book on Shaker culture. Copland vividly described the Suite “as capturing the emotions—both joyful and anxious—that accompany their new life together, with contributions from an old neighbor and a revivalist who highlight both the comfort and challenges of human existence. By the end, the couple finds strength and tranquility in their new home.”
Reference: Grogan, J. D. (2003). Concert: Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra & Chamber Orchestra. https://core.ac.uk/download/217300234.pdf
Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto was composed between 1947 and 1948, at the request of the renowned American clarinetist Benny Goodman. The piece is structured in two movements that flow seamlessly together, starting with a slow section that creates a tender, lyrical atmosphere reminiscent of Appalachian Spring. In this movement, the clarinet takes on the role of a vocal soloist, presenting a warm and intimate melodic line, even during its more intense passages. This graceful segment inspired Jerome Robbins to choreograph a ballet titled The Pied Piper shortly after the concerto’s premiere.
The first movement was inspired by Copland’s 1947 tour of Rio de Janeiro, where he was heavily influenced by Brazilian music. He introduced a popular Brazilian theme in the finale, which is lively and infused with Latin rhythms that give it a jazzy flair. Elements of ragtime, Charleston, rhumba, and boogie-woogie make brief appearances, highlighting the need for versatility from both the solo clarinetist and the accompanying ensemble.
Aaron Copland (1900-1990) is one of the most respected American classical composers of the twentieth century. By incorporating popular forms of American music such as jazz and folk into his compositions, he created pieces both brilliant and innovative. He wrote ballets, orchestral music, chamber music, vocal works, operas and film scores. Copland influenced a whole generation of American composers. He taught Samuel Adler, Leonard Bernstein, Alberto Ginastera, Alvin Lucier, and Michael Tilson Thomas. His student Leonard Bernstein would become the foremost conductor of Copland’s works.
Copland received numerous awards throughout his long career. He earned the Pulitzer Prize, an Oscar, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964. In 1986, he earned the National Medal of Arts and in 1987 the United States Congress presented him with a special Congressional Gold Medal.
Kellan Toohey, CSO’s principal clarinet, will perform as the featured clarinetist in the Concerto. Kellan Toohey is an accomplished clarinetist with a career that includes recitals, chamber music, teaching, and orchestral performances. He holds a BM and DMA from the University of Colorado and has studied under notable teachers such as Daniel Silver and Yehuda Gilad. Currently, he serves as principal clarinetist for several orchestras, including the Boulder Philharmonic and Colorado Ballet Orchestra, and has performed internationally.
Dr. Toohey has received multiple awards, including 2nd Prize in the International Clarinet Association’s Young Artist Competition in Italy, and made his recital debut at Carnegie Hall in 2016. He runs a successful private studio in Boulder, with many of his students receiving accolades in honor bands and orchestras.
In addition to his musical endeavors, Kellan co-founded Melodic Light, a concert series that provides free classical chamber music performances to underserved communities. He is also active in his church and enjoys composing, reading, hiking, and spending time outdoors.