Pollack, Howard.  AARON COPLAND: THE LIFE AND WORK OF AN UNCOMMON MAN.
 NY: Holt, 1999.  690 pp.

This joins other fine recent, substantial and well-balanced biographies
of 20th Century composers:  Barbara Heyman's of Barber, Tommasini's of
Thomson, Burton's of Bernstein, and Carpenter's of Britten.  (I am still
waiting for someone to publish a good biography of Schuman.) Pollack's
study of Copland's life and music is outstanding among these, in fact
exemplary as a composer's biography, because he gives the music equal
billing with the life.  Unusually, the compositions are discussed in
strict chronological order, whereas the person is presented thematically.

Pollack's previously published writing includes HARVARD COMPOSERS:
WALTER PISTON AND HIS STUDENTS, FROM ELLIOTT CARTER TO FREDERIC RZEWSKI
(which has a full chapter on Shapero's Symphony for Classical Orchestra,
by the way) and SKYSCRAPER LULLABY:  THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF JOHN ALDEN
CARPENTER.  He is a music professor at the University of Houston.  As in
the first just-mentioned book (I have not seen the other) Pollack writes
about music clearly and intelligibly without musical examples, in a way
that non-musician readers of moderate musical literacy can understand.
Someone once wrote that it was a waste of time writing about what goes on
in a piece of music, because the musical listeners would be able to hear it
for themselves and, for everyone else, whatever was said would not make a
difference anyway.  That was rubbish, of course, and insufferable rubbish
at that.

To be sure, Copland's music has been much condescended to, in some
quarters.  I recall that, years ago on a news list, someone snorted after
another person mentioned the Rite of Spring and Appalachian Spring in the
same phrase.  Copland referred to "sourpuss critics" of his piano sonata.
(354) Pollack shows, though, that even Boulez showed respect for Copland's
music--some of it anyway.  Pollack also relates how various composers (like
Thomson) thought Copland overly influential in deciding what music got
performed (not that Thomson didn't throw his weight around, and settle
scores, as critic for the _Herald Tribune._)

In a few places, Pollack challenges what he sees as general
misapprehensions, such as the notion that Copland adopted serial
techniques in some late works more out of peer pressure than from
conviction.  Pollack attributes this to Bernstein.  My contrary view,
which I have expressed before, is based on a reading of Copland's memoirs,
specifically a conversation with Boulez that I recall him reporting.  By
the way, Pollack also finds fault with Bernstein's preformance of the late
works in question, Connotations and Inscape, for not presenting these works
as persuasively as might be wished.  Pollack also challenges the notion,
endorsed by Copland himself, that his work falls, stylistically, into
relatively neat chronological segments.  Pollack sees both the modernist
and the accessible poles of Copland's creativity in all periods.

Chapters on the compositions are interspersed among the more strictly
biographical chapters; 13 out of 29 are on music, all but three in the
second half of the book.  The works--at least 83 out of about a hundred,
by my count--are discussed one by one, and many at considerable length.
Brevity of the work is no bar to serious consideration by Pollack.  Fanfare
for the Common Man (one of three fanfares Copland wrote) is analyzed for
a page or so, in terms of theme, harmony and orchestration.  The Third
Symphony gets extended treatment.  The least satisfactory discussion, for
me, is on Appalachian Spring, as it focuses much more on Martha Graham's
changing scenarios for the ballet, than on the music.  Typically, Pollack
writes about the origin of each work and gives a summary of positive and
negative ctiticisms it occasioned, as well as perfomance and recording
history, in some cases, in addition to his reading of the harmonic,
rhythmic, contrapuntal and instrumental elements of the work.  For those
who like Copland's music, this may make Pollack's book one to own rather
than just to read, aside from the biographical information it contains.

Oh yes, the biography!  Well, it is a biography, but with a difference.
It begins conventionally enough, with accounts of Copland's family, early
education and study in Paris.  After that, Pollack writes what almost might
be called biographical essays on various themes, which he carries through,
narratively, as long as he needs to, chronologically.  This works very
well, because it brings together in a full way, especially for the reader
who has read the two volumes of autobiography Copland wrote with Vivian
Perlis and others (which I strongly recommend), accounts of Copland's
professional and personal relationships with his composer-peers, worldwide;
younger composers (like the very young Christopher Rouse who liked
Connotations even if his family didn't); and lovers; also his political
activities in the '30's and McCarthy's investigation of these in the '50's.
One thing Copland did not mention to the Senators was the "communist song"
he wrote in the early '30's.  Copland's work for the theatre, ballet, and
especially Hollywood, is presented thoroughly.  Copland advanced the art
of film music considerably, and was recognized for these accomplishments
at the time.

A late chapter, "Identity Issues," outlines what some have said about
Copland's music in terms of his Jewishness, his homosexuality and his
attempts to create and promote an American sound.  Much of what was said
was less than convincing, especially on the first two themes mentioned.

The end of Copland's half-century composing career seems to have come
gently, as Copland's inspiration, memory and mental powers generally
succumbed to the dementia which had afflicted his father before him, from
about 1975 to 1990 when he died.  He was able to substitute a conducting
career, for a time.

Pollack's sources, including the seemingly ubiquitous Paul Moor, are
documented in about 100 pages of notes.  There is also a list of Copland's
works, a selective bibliography, and index.

Jim Tobin