Copland: Rodeo, Dance Panels, El Salón México & Danzón Cubano

Featuring

Leonard Slatkin
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Aaron Copland

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Copland created a uniquely American sound in his ballets by using indigenous rhythms and songs, along with wide open harmonies suggesting the American West.

Composer Biography

Aaron Copland produced three ballet scores between 1938 and 1944 that established him as a vital voice in 20th-century American music.

Compositional Technique

In Danzón Cubano, Copland used authentic Cuban dance rhythms, specifically the Danzón, which he described as a stately dance similar to a waltz.

Composition History

The ballet Rodeo was commissioned by the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, a company with a classical European repertoire that had moved to the U.S. during World War II.

Performer Biography

Leonard Slatkin, the conductor on this album, has received seven GRAMMY® Awards and 64 GRAMMY® Award nominations for his more than 100 recordings.

Composition History

Copland's ballet Dance Panels was originally conceived as a full-length ballet without a story, based on a series of dances, mainly waltzes.

Composer's Artistic Vision

For El Salón México, Copland aimed to reflect the 'Mexico of the tourists' and capture the spirit of the Mexican people he encountered in a dance hall.