John Callaway Interviews Aaron Copland - 1981 (2/2)

Aaron Copland appeared on "John Callaway Interviews" on WFMT's sister station WTTW, for a wide-ranging interview covering his introduction to music, his forays into composing Hollywood scores, his relationship with critics and more. Airdate: September 14, 1981.
Produced by: Johanna Steinmetz
Directed by: Ken Voss
Field Camera: Jerry Hanna; Roy D. Alan
Audio: Bob Dove; Laszlo Aranyos
Lighting: John Davies; Rex Victor
Videotape Editing: Barry Blue; Rick Wells
Post-Production Editing: Susan Smeyak
Post-Production Audio: Jim Mancini
Videotape: James Guthrie
Research Coordinator: Judy Mayotte
Additional Locations and Materials Courtesy of: Chicago Chamber Consortium; Los Angeles Philharmonic; MCA Television, Inc.; Northwestern University; WGN Continental Broadcasting Co.; David Walker; Philip Ramey

[@jackbuckley7816]

Great interview with a warm, affable man of amazing creativity. I don't know that I've ever seen him in an interview before. I've known his name & a few titles he composed but this made him totally real to me. I'll be exploring & sampling much more of his work from here on out.

[@yooniquelife]

Amazing Interviews! Thanks so much for sharing this with the world. 🙏🏻Wow..

[@daviddemers9093]

I always get emotional when visiting his sculpture at Tanglewood in that beautiful, private space beyond the vineyard area. I sit there and think about his music - the Lincoln Portrait - the organ symphony - Appalation Spring, and many others. What a true American treasure! Wish I could have met him!

[@patl6978]

Great interview. Great questions.

[@janelahmeyer1006]

Dazzlingly brilliant, warm and a musical genius. Thank you Aaron Copeland. Appalachian Suite is just one of your gifts that keeps giving and is part of my soul

[@davidwhite2949]

I greatly enjoyed that

[@YoNickSoko]

Bless this man what an inspiration. Long live Aaron Copland.

[@JohnJApanovitch]

It's amazing how joyful and wonderful of a person Aaron Copland was. I love his positive attitude, and how he laughs at some of the goofiest things. He would have turned 100 the year I was born. Rest in peace, Mr. Copland.

[@maregirl3550]

Great interview!

[@kathleenkosel9368]

Love the discussion of composer as artist.....so similar to all artists.....the process is the same, and sometimes is just a mystery to behold.

[@ertatta]

So fascinating to hear maestro Copland. Thanku

[@albertnortononymous9020]

24:15 I sang in The Tender Land, and I can confirm that this guy’s off his rocker. It’s one of the best operas ever written, with a few very romantic moments. The lack of romance might be accounted for in the fact that the plot mainly centers around a family and that the romance gets so little “screen time” that it seems like it was thrown in just because of critics like this who think every opera has to be a love story. But the opera is not lacking whatsoever in musical romanticism.

[@christophermorgan3261]

So many times one perceives a kind of American chauvinism in Copland interviewers. Just because he's known as the Americana composer doesn't mean he deliberately set out to become that. In his comments here he definitely emphasizes the technical challenges that shaped him, esp his studies with Nadia Boulanger.

[@Scriabin_fan]

What is the piece playing at 31:20?

[@coryneville2832]

His piano concerto: kzbin.info/www/bejne/joHWkqCEeJV6jLM

[@puppyloveshow]

19:13

[@ralphkramden1741]

He wrote only one great piece. Fanfare For the Common Man. The rest are half ass. Even Fanfare for the Common Man was lifted almost whole from Richard Strauss' Sprach Zarathustra.

[@daviddemers9093]

What an insult to this Amrrican giant. All educated people know that. What have you written that we would know about. You're a moron.

[@prometheusrex1]

Appalachian Spring is great. So is Rodeo.

[@JohnOdermott]

@ralphkramden1741 You have the right to your opinion. But none of us have to agree with it.