Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring: A Political Tool and American Classic

Aaron Copland's ballet score 'Appalachian Spring', commissioned by Martha Graham via Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge after Graham's principal dancer Erick Hawkins approached Coolidge, premiered in 1944. The work tells the story of a pioneer couple on the American frontier, incorporating the Shaker song 'Simple Gifts'. The ballet served as a political tool during the Cold War, with Martha Graham's company touring Vietnam in the 1950s to challenge perceptions of American laziness, showcasing tenacity and self-reliance. The score is divided into eight scenes: Prologue, Eden Valley, Wedding Day, Interlude, Fear in the Night, Day of Wrath, Moment of Crisis, and The Lord's Day. The set was designed by Isamu Noguchi. Copland initially declined Graham's first commission based on Medea, deeming it too dark. The ballet is considered a turning point in American art, blending American realism with modernist elements. During the Cold War, cultural exchanges under the Lacy-Zarubin Agreement of 1958 saw the Moiseyev Dance Company tour the USA and the American Ballet Theater tour the Soviet Union, with companies like Alvin Ailey, Jose Limon, and Martha Graham participating. The work remains a symbol of American strength and resilience.