"The promise of living" - The Tender Land

[@jhd21181]

If we have ever needed a song for our times, this would be the one ! Thank you for this wonderful production!

[@dennisdavis3919]

That final cadence gets me every time, not least because the text it's setting with such sheer magnificence is "loving."

[@sidpheasant7585]

As I understand it, Copland and his lover - doing the music and lyrics respectively - did not really intend "The Tender Land" to be remembered as "homespun". They wanted it to be much more edgy. But somehow this part of it anyway escaped from their vision (and of course total genius) as people saw in it what they wanted, i.e. a tribute to hard work and cooperation making things grow from the land. And things don't get much more fundamental than that - in an idealised context at least. There are many good renditions of this piece - by choirs and so on, but this one more than holds its own, revelling in the complexity and beauty of the piece - and of course anyone not made of stone (especially anyone of a certain age) will indeed find those tears flowing freely. And why not?

[@martincaracoche4657]

Beautiful words.

[@dabdelaziz777]

I spent ten years living outside of the US from 2009 to 2919. Whenever I wanted to feel at home, I would listen to Aaron Copland's music.

[@jbut1208]

Copeland got America better than anybody else! Perhaps you yanks need to rediscover who you are! Copeland can help! Listen to him. Put away the mean spiritedness of your now and rediscover your generosity! God will love that!

[@sidpheasant7585]

WE Brits do the same with Ralph Vaughan Williams. Paradoxically, Copland was a staunch critic of RVW! Somehow he failed to realise that both (atheists) were pursuing the same (divine, Holy Spirit-inspired) task! For those looking in - like me - it is easy enough to see. In every sense of the word "see".

[@francescarae8182]

Never heard this song before I clicked on it just now, but I immediately recognized the theme from “Zion’s Walls”, a piece I performed an arrangement of in high school with state choir. Classic American folk fits right in with Copland. Beautiful 💕

[@timirish2563]

This is by far the best rendition of this finale I've encountered. And the production looks fantastic--well cast, well costumed with sets reminiscent of Isamu Noguchi's scenery for Appalachian Spring. I wish I had been there; witnessing it on video bring tears to my eyes. All quite fine...

[@opalhearst4227]

I sang this in choir recently, and that was so much fun, but this version is wonderful too. In choir I was thinking "why are there so many section solos/separate entrances?" and "why are only the basses in divisi?" and I thought it was just unusual writing, but it makes so much more sense knowing it was written as a quintet.

[@anuteamsterium]

Just beautiful! And just as I remember it being performed in December of 1990 at USC, just after Copland had passed. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. Such power and simplicity! It sounds like a small chamber orchestra here. When the final chord arrives, the ear expects the soprano to descend from the 4th tone to the 3rd. When she climbs to that high C the roof almost comes off the place. Copland knew what he was doing!

[@craigeverhart4755]

You have it exactly. I am so grateful that you've captured the tear-provoking nature of the work and this performance. I thought that I was tearing up weirdly, so it's good to have the backing of other folks. I noticed the same thing about the soprano line at the finale really zinging, the high 5th rather than the expected resolution to the 3rd.

[@Starcastle2009]

When will music teachers learn that the way to introduce young people to opera is not with Tosca or heaven forbid Madam Butterfly, but with Tender Land, or Ballad of Baby Doe, or Hello Out There. I know, nobody's listening to me.

[@Mrs.CruzMusic]

I am a teacher, and I'm listening

[@ecoRfan]

I have a funny memory of this song regarding music teachers. Was the middle movement of a marching band show and the director said not to make it sound like a “cheesy rock ballad”.

[@johnwarner8569]

I think many teachers do

[@brooksspector9141]

one of my favourite modern operatic moments. and i wish i had seen this production live. beautiful singing.

[@TheJameslehr]

the unofficial THANKSGIVING DAY standard.

[@danielbrown1943]

absolutely.I had it last November!

[@ecoRfan]

Writing this on Thanksgiving Day 2021

[@droobers1314]

I’ve been a dci (drum corps international) fan for about a year now. I heard Carolina Crown play this in 2009, and then a really old video of SCV playing it in I believe 1987, and did some digging on the name of the piece. The way the chords resolve by the main lines ascending is just beautiful, and I was not disappointed by this arrangement at all. I have no idea what Tender Land is (besides that it’s what I assume to be a musical,) but the message portrayed by the lyrics and music is very easy to latch onto. It’s just simply a well written piece. To any non DCI fans or people who don’t know what that is, I want you to watch Carolina Crown’s 2009 show (you can just look up Carolina Crown 2009 into KZbin.) This song shows up in the most beautiful way possible at multiple parts throughout, so if you do watch it, I’d watch the whole thing! The whole show is a magical and fun experience as well.

[@ecoRfan]

Freshman year in high school The Promise of Living was the middle piece of marching band show. But band director made sure we didn’t make it sound like a “cheesy rock ballad”

[@pawdaw]

Those words. That music. Gets me every time.

[@paulbrewbaker5158]

So grateful that you all captured this moment.

[@bellakemp]

This is very beautiful. Thank you for posting.

[@eottoe2001]

Wow! That was amazing. All the voices were great. Amy Foote projects well. The older I get and the more I listen to this opera I sense that it was underrated by the critics. The libretto holds together even more than Horace Everet himself believed. As this performance proves seven decades out it has a lot of power.

[@PutTheSuitOn]

I have middle school band students performing an arrangement of this next week, and I can't wait to show them this. Such a beautiful piece; a great way to introduce the kids to a significant American composer, and to show them that not everything has to be written in the same cookie cutter fashion as everything else. Thank you for posting, this was wonderful

[@ecoRfan]

Freshman year in high school marching band this was the middle piece of the show. Director had a bit of humor telling us not to make it sound like a “cheesy rock ballad”.

[@TimMillerTale]

This is so fine. Wish I had seen this production.

[@joebg47]

thank you posting--perfect for Thanksgiving and a great production.

[@ecoRfan]

🦃

[@MelindaMcLain]

Excellent performance. Congrats to all.

[@Markinsky]

This is simply wonderful!

[@violindenise]

Beautiful performance; thank you, Berkeley!

[@RampGuy1]

I saw this performance by the Butler University Opera Theater in Indianapolis this past weekend. They, too, put on a wonderful performance.

[@RaphaelBas1995]

Being a fan of altos, I loved listened to that woman's mature voice. I wish I had heard more of her. The only problem with this, I think, is that the soprano didn't blend well at the end, singing too loudly to hear the other parts very well. After all, the high F from the alto and baritone is the melody note, we don't need the high C overpowering everything.

[@anuteamsterium]

I don't feel she overpowered. That high C sends me straight to heaven.

[@smpflueger]

Beautiful vocal quality from all. This is a great recording. I love hearing the small orchestra too. Thank goodness for a sensible vocal tempo.

[@Glinkaism1]

GadZ0000kers! Great voices, costuming and the singers LOOK like farm folks! What casting! Oy! I've never seen this staged till now. Cheers! & thanks to KZbin!

[@VocalEdgeTV]

So nice!! Really missed the cymbal crash at "LOVING!" ...hehe I wonder if we just added that haha...

[@genedryer-bivins8314]

+VocalEdgeTV - This is a trimmed-down instrumentation that Copland made so that school and community opera companies could perform it without the need for a full orchestra. He also slightly shortened the last words, "and loving", for the soloists, which last about twice as long in the original score.

[@doobeedoo58]

I was introduce to opera when I was in the chorus of Amahl and later sang the part of Melchoir...and my big "break" (lol) was when I was cast as Poo Bah in the Mikado...loved opera ever since!

[@lednew2010]

Absolutely wonderful.

[@holyfishpaste67]

I. LOVE. THIS.

[@jgesselberty]

A true measure of the genius that was Copland.

[@marcelasunshine]

that's so beautyfull.. made me shiver

[@pvv2012]

Gorgeous!

[@erikvonriese]

I wish I'd known this was happening last year - I would have come! It's nice to hear this piece done with brighter voices than I'm used to. Since Copland wrote the opera for students originally, I've always felt that the couple of recordings out there were a bit on the wuffy side vocally. The tempo here is teeny bit brisker than usual, but I think that's okay given that a tenor uses up his air a lot more quickly than an english horn.

[@donaldbarrett4454]

My favorite American Opera just ahead of Moore's, "The Ballad of Baby Doe"

[@williamzavlaris4054]

Superb!

[@BanjoMcFreakBoy]

brilliant!

[@darkenergyhotep5793]

Bravo!!!!!!

[@ericpatterson6031]

Awesome

[@golden-63]

The Soprano is amazing!

[@Echidnamedia1]

She's still around: www.amymichellefoote.com

[@anthonyhunter6882]

That song belongs in hymnals, not just because Copeland is my favorite composer

[@MrDanielBrisk]

Fantastic production all the way around, echidnamedia. I think the only thing that would have made it more interesting is if the conductor used a road flair instead of a baton. but that would be dumb. This is Copland, folks. And nobody directs with a road flair...except maybe a state trooper at an accident scene. Wait. What was I saying?

[@cincinnatikidstuff]

Beautiful music, beautifully sung. The actors could have used some props though. they're singing with their hands in their pockets.

[@sidpheasant7585]

As farm folk might???

[@tennotes]

I like the moving tempo, it is not the orchestral suite. The diction is great. What I don't like is iNEEDmusicNOW68 obscene comments. It's a shame you don't have the vocabulary to really express your thoughts. I didn't see this production, but I have a feeling it was an excellent production.

[@dabdelaziz777]

I teach middle school and I don't know why we don't teach the arts instead of all this "new age" garbage. I am so frustrated because we are tearing apart from inside. Yes there were many things that were wrong in the foundation of our country. But why do we have to throw away what is good from our past?

[@chpnlzt]

YOU KNOW WHAT I HATE AND CAN'T STAND ABOUT COPLAND - HE MADE HIS SONGS WAY TOO SHORT !!!

[@Kinopanorama1]

It is bad manners to capitalise. He composed in many idioms, including a few "songs" as you say.