| dc.description.abstract | Since the latter half of the 1900s, large portions of Aaron Copland’s life and work have been
researched and documented. However, the majority of the investigations pertain to largescale
solo, orchestral, and ballet works written in the middle of his compositional career. In
addition, most authors tend to discuss these works within the framework of Copland’s impact
on American composition, often ignoring the personal emotions underlying his musical
inspiration. Night Thoughts, written in 1972 for the 1973 Van Cliburn International Piano
Competition, is a late-period piece which has not been completely ignored, but has not been
analysed in a detailed way, especially with regard to performers. This thesis fills that void,
providing players and listeners with a performance analysis which demonstrates possibilities
for shaping, voicing, and timing within each phrase, among other aspects. The analysis
proceeds phrase by phrase, with numerous musical examples, in order to instruct readers on
an approach to the work which both leads listeners through its structure while vividly
portraying Copland’s underlying emotions.
Prior to the analysis itself, a biographical study places Night Thoughts in a detailed context
within Copland’s life and oeuvre. The discussion of Copland’s experiences leading to the
creation of Night Thoughts is integral to understanding the work’s emotional inspiration and
relationships with other works in his output. This study is followed by a discussion of current
research on the piece and late-style compositions by other composers which places the
performance analysis in a wider context. The second chapter also contains an investigation
of the 1973 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition which paints a picture for the
work’s premiere by each of the competitors, and also discusses a number of existing
recordings. The commercial recordings demonstrate the current performative approaches to
the work and provide an interpretative stage in which Copland’s emotions can be further explored. These emotions present in the work are the most important aspects of performative
communication, and are the ideas which the following analysis portrays most vividly. Lastly,
the overwhelming majority of research suggests that the quality and poignancy of Copland’s
compositions declined in his later creative period, and this dissertation works to rid readers
and listeners of this allegation. Because of the consistency of quality of Copland’s creative
mind throughout his career, this analysis can ultimately be used as a springboard for other
projects detailing the performance of his works. | en |
