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{{Short description|1944 ballet by Martha Graham and Aaron Copland}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox ballet
| name           = Appalachian Spring
| italic title   = yes
| image          = Martha Graham, seated, c. 1940 (cropped).jpg
| alt            = Graham sitting in a chair and gesturing upwards, wearing a heavy black overcoat
| caption        = [[Martha Graham]], {{circa|1940}}
| choreographer  = Martha Graham
| composer       = [[Aaron Copland]]
| premiere       = {{Start date|1944|10|30}}
| place          = [[Coolidge Auditorium]]
| ballet_company = [[Martha Graham Dance Company]]
| characters     = {{plainlist|
*The Bride
*The Husbandman
*The Pioneer Woman
*The Revivalist
}}
| designer       = {{plainlist|
*Sets by [[Isamu Noguchi]]
*Costumes by Edythe Gilfond
}}
| setting        = 19th-century [[Pennsylvania]]
| created_for    = {{plainlist|
*Martha Graham
*[[Erick Hawkins]]
*[[May O'Donnell]]
*[[Merce Cunningham]]
}}
| genre          = [[Modern dance]]
}}

'''''Appalachian Spring''''' is an American [[ballet]] created by the choreographer [[Martha Graham]] and the composer [[Aaron Copland]], later arranged as an [[orchestral work]]. Commissioned by [[Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge]], Copland composed the ballet music for Graham; the original choreography was by Graham, with costumes by Edythe Gilfond and sets by [[Isamu Noguchi]]. The ballet was well received at the 1944 premiere, earning Copland the [[Pulitzer Prize for Music]] during its 1945 United States tour. The orchestral [[Suite (music)|suite]] composed in 1945 was played that year by many symphony orchestras; the suite is among Copland's best-known works, and the ballet remains essential in the [[Martha Graham Dance Company]] repertoire.

Graham was known for creating the "[[Graham technique]]" of dance; in the 1930s, she began commissioning scores from various composers, often related to [[American history]] and [[Culture of the United States|culture]]. Around the same time, Copland incorporated relatable and accessible musical characteristics of the [[Americana (music)|Americana]] style to increase his music's appeal to the general public; he first implemented this in earlier ballets like ''[[Billy the Kid (ballet)|Billy the Kid]]'' and ''[[Rodeo (ballet)|Rodeo]]''. The initial scenario for ''Appalachian Spring'' devised by Graham was revised many times by both her and Copland; the title characters' names were changed numerous times and other characters from the early revisions were cut in the final production. Originally orchestrated for a thirteen-piece chamber orchestra, the score was arranged into various suites by Copland for different purposes; the original ballet featured eight episodes, three of which were cut in the well-known orchestral suite.

The ballet takes place in a small [[Appalachia|Appalachian]] settlement in 19th-century [[Pennsylvania]]. There are four main characters: the Bride, the Husbandman, the Pioneer Woman, and the Revivalist; the last is accompanied by four Followers.{{Efn|name=name}} ''Appalachian Spring'' follows the Bride and the Husbandman as they get married and celebrate with the community. Themes of war are present throughout the story; it is suggested that the Husbandman leaves for war, causing worry and anxiety among the community. [[Shakers|Shaker]] themes also influenced the ballet, notably in the music, where Copland incorporated a [[theme and variations]] on the common Shaker tune "[[Simple Gifts]]".

== History ==

=== Background ===
During the late 1920s and early 1930s, [[Aaron Copland]] spent much of his time promoting American composers and music.{{Sfn|Philip|2018|p=182}} Copland's compositions during this time turned jazzy and dissonant,{{Sfn|Ross|2007|pp=292–293}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=113}} a style that interested few.{{Sfn|Philip|2018|p=182}} During the [[Great Depression]], his [[left-wing political stances]] strengthened, motivated by addressing the concerns of ordinary people.{{Sfn|Pollack|2013|loc=1. Life}}{{Sfn|Philip|2018|p=182}}{{Sfn|Ross|2007|p=297}} This initiated the idea of music that was simple and accessible enough to be liked by the general public,{{Sfn|Philip|2018|p=182}}{{Sfn|Crist|2005|p=23}} a concept pioneered in his opera for children ''[[The Second Hurricane]]'' (1937) and his greatly successful ballet ''[[El Salón México]]'' (1936).{{Sfn|Philip|2018|p=182}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|pp=302–303}}{{Sfn|Copland|Perlis|1984|p=245}} This "ordinary music" idea is present in ''Appalachian Spring''; Copland remarked in a 1980 interview that the music was "plain, singing, comparatively uncomplicated and slightly folksy. Direct and approachable".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dickinson |first=Peter |title=Peter Dickinson: Words and Music |publisher=Boydell & Brewer |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-78204-666-0 |edition=1 |pages=80 |chapter=Charles Ives and Aaron Copland |doi=10.1017/9781782046660.006 |access-date=August 14, 2023 |chapter-url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/peter-dickinson-words-and-music/charles-ives-and-aaron-copland/CBDA2499EA4CC7BFFD52B0BABC64051B}}</ref> The composer solidified his [[Populism|populist]] and [[Americana (music)|Americana]] style with ballets like ''[[Billy the Kid (ballet)|Billy the Kid]]'' (1938) and ''[[Rodeo (ballet)|Rodeo]]'' (1942),{{Sfn|Ross|2007|p=300}}{{Sfn|Oja|Tick|2005|p=94}} both of which used [[cowboy songs]] and fit with the popular stereotypes about the [[Wild West]].{{Sfn|Oja|Tick|2005|p=94}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|pp=320, 322}} In addition, ''[[Lincoln Portrait]]'' (1942) and ''[[Fanfare for the Common Man]]'' (1942) received widespread acclaim for their American themes, distinguishing Copland's versatility as a composer.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=362}}

[[Martha Graham]] was a modern dancer and choreographer best known for creating the "[[Graham technique]]" of dance.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=389}}<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Teachout |first=Terry |date=June 8, 1998 |title=The Dancer Martha Graham |url=https://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,988513,00.html |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |language=en-US |access-date=August 10, 2023}}</ref> The [[Martha Graham Dance Company]] originally consisted of only women due to Graham's feminism; this played a key role in productions like ''[[American Document]]'' (1938), which mixed important moments in [[History of the United States|American history]] with [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] themes and [[American Folklore|American folklore]].{{Sfn|Rutkoff|Scott|1995|p=214}} In the 1930s, she began commissioning scores from various composers; the scenarios often involved American history and [[Culture of the United States|culture]].{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=389}}

=== Commission and writing ===
In 1941, Graham proposed to Copland a dark ballet about the Greek mythology figure [[Medea]]; despite being a great admirer of Graham, he declined.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=391}} The following year, [[Erick Hawkins]], the chief male dancer in Graham's dance company, convinced the music patron [[Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge]] to commission a ballet from Copland for Graham's company; Copland happily accepted the offer.{{Sfn|Rutkoff|Scott|1995|p=215}} Graham first proposed a scenario titled "[[La hija de Cólquide|Daughter of Colchis]]", which was inspired by the story of Medea but set in 19th-century [[New England]]. Copland found it "too severe", and the idea was given to another Coolidge commissionee, [[Carlos Chávez]].{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=391}} In May 1943, Graham sent Copland a scenario titled "House of Victory", about a newlywed couple in a small 19th-century [[Pennsylvania]] settlement. Copland revised the scenario before composing the music, though his occupation with the score for ''[[The North Star (1943 film)|The North Star]]'' caused the beginning of his work to be delayed.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=391}}{{Sfn|Philip|2018|p=183}}{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|pp=40–41}}

Per Coolidge's commission, the orchestra was to be no bigger than twelve musicians.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=391}} Copland originally planned to orchestrate it for double [[string quartet]] and piano, but later decided to add a double bass, flute, clarinet, and bassoon, a scoring similar to Chávez's work.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=392}} During the 1940s, Copland spent much of his time on the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]] scoring [[Hollywood films]]; as a result, he composed the music for ''Appalachian Spring'' far from Graham's [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]]-based work.{{Sfn|Graham|1991|p=226}}{{Sfn|Franko|2012|p=50}}<ref>{{cite Grove|last1=Lerner|first1=Neil|date=2018|title=Aaron Copland|doi=10.1093/omo/9781561592630.013.3000000119}} {{Subscription required}}</ref> Since he could not meet with Graham, he relied greatly on the various scenarios sent to him. In total, Copland was sent three scripts: the original "House of Victory", and two revisions titled "Name".{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=392}}{{Sfn|Crist|2005|p=167}} In composing the music, he drew from all three scripts to devise his own scenario, which Graham planned around as she received various drafts of the score.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=393}} Copland used the working title "Ballet for Martha" during the composition process.{{Sfn|Oja|Tick|2005|p=140}}

The original scenario, "House of Victory", used characters based on common American [[Archetype|archetypes]] and was set during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], but also drew from [[Greek mythology]] and [[French poetry]].{{Efn|In the final scenario, the exact time period is left ambiguous to the entire 19th century.{{sfn|Franko|2012|p=51}}}}{{Sfn|Ross|2007|p=329}}{{Sfn|Stodelle|1984|p=125}} Four main characters were present: the Mother, who represents the [[preindustrial]] American; the Daughter, a brave pioneer; the Citizen, a smart civil rights advocate who marries the Daughter; and the Fugitive, who embodies the [[Slavery during the American Civil War|slave in the Civil War]].{{Efn|The names of these characters were later changed (see {{section link||Production}}).|name=name}}{{Sfn|Ross|2007|p=329}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=394}}{{Sfn|Franko|2012|p=54}} Graham based some of the ballet on her own experiences. She grew up in small-town Pennsylvania, and later wrote that the Mother was based on her own grandmother.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=394}}{{Sfn|Graham|1991|p=232}} Other characters include the Younger Sister, Two Children, and Neighbors.{{Sfn|Franko|2012|p=52}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=394}} In the later revisions, a new character was added: a [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] girl to represent the land, associated with the story of [[Pocahontas]]. The Native American girl was meant to act as a theatrical device, interacting with everyone in the ballet without being acknowledged, but the idea was scrapped in Copland's final composition.{{Sfn|Philip|2018|p=183}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=394}}{{Sfn|Franko|2012|p=56}} Additionally, Graham planned for the Mother to speak excerpts from the [[Book of Genesis]] throughout, "not in a religious sense so much as in a poetic sense";{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=395}} this too was cut by the premiere.{{Sfn|Crist|2005|p=171}}

The final scenario featured eight episodes:{{Efn|See {{harvtxt|Crist|2005|p=168}} for a table comparison of differences between the "Name" scripts and the final ''Appalachian Spring'' scenario.}}

# Prologue: Graham did not want this opening episode to be long; she wanted it to have "a sense of simple celebration". As the lights went up, the Mother observed her land.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=395}}
# Eden Valley: The Daughter and the Citizen dance together in a "duet of courtship".{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=395}}
# Wedding Day: Graham divided this episode into two parts. The first opens with a dance between the Younger Sister and the Two Children. The Citizen exhibits his strength before carrying the Daughter into the couple's new home. In the second part, the Daughter and the Citizen dance a love scene in the home, while those outside celebrate in an "[[Charivari#North America|old fashion charivari]]".{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=395}}
# Interlude: This episode depicts daily life in the town during spring planting.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=395}}
# Fear in the Night: The central conflict of the ballet begins in this episode. The Fugitive enters with an "awkward" and "tragic" solo, bringing forth the fear and suffering of the Civil War.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=395}}{{Sfn|Ross|2007|pp=329–330}}
# Day of Wrath: This episode was intended to represent the tragedies of war, accompanied by music reminiscent of the Civil War. The Citizen dances a violent solo "reminiscent of [[John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry|Harper's Ferry and John Brown]]" while the Two Children play a war game.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|pp=395–396}}{{Sfn|Philip|2018|p=184}}
# Moment of Crisis: The women of the town gather, their behavior suggesting "a barely suppressed hysteria".{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=396}}
# The Lord's Day: The final scene was intended to depict "[[Sabbath]] in a small town". The Daughter and the Citizen perform a love duet outside the home, and the rest of the community attends a [[revival meeting]].{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=396}}{{Sfn|Ross|2007|p=330}}

The "House of Victory" script included an extra episode after the "Interlude" presenting scenes from ''[[Uncle Tom's Cabin]]'', strengthening the ballet's connection to the Civil War; but, upon Copland's persuasion, Graham cut the episode from the revisions.{{Sfn|Franko|2012|p=52}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=396}} In addition, the original script used a different final scene, where the Daughter and the Citizen reunite in the home. The second script ended with "the town settling down for the night" and the Daughter standing at the fence just before the curtain falls. The third script put forth "The Lord's Day" as it would stand in the final scenario.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=396}}

Graham received half of the score in January 1944 and began work on the choreography.{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|p=41}} Copland completed the [[condensed score]] in June 1944, and the orchestration was finished in August.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=392}} The premiere was originally set to take place at the [[Library of Congress]] on October 30, 1943, which was Coolidge's birthday. By May 1943, Copland had not begun composing the ballet, and given the further problems introduced by World War II, the premiere was postponed to early 1944.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=391}} Despite a new December 1943 deadline for the music, a completed score was still not in view, and the premiere was pushed to late 1944.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=392}}

=== Production ===
[[File:Set of Appalachian Spring.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|[[Isamu Noguchi]]'s set|alt=A stage. People sit under the outline of a house on the left; a figure in a black cloak stands atop a stump]]
Shortly before the premiere, Graham decided upon the title "Appalachian Spring".{{Efn|Copland turned "Ballet for Martha" into the subtitle of the work.{{sfn|Oja|Tick|2005|p=140}}}} It was taken from the cycle of poems ''[[The Bridge (poem)|The Bridge]]''{{Efn|The bridge in question is the [[Brooklyn Bridge]] in New York.{{sfn|Rutkoff|Scott|1995|p=211}}}} by [[Hart Crane]], an American poet also seeking to create unique American art;{{Sfn|Ross|2007|p=330}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=401}} one of the poems, titled ''Powhatan's Daughter'', contained the line "O Appalachian Spring!"{{Sfn|Ross|2007|p=330}}{{Sfn|Rutkoff|Scott|1995|pp=216–217}} Crane's work was a great inspiration to Graham while she wrote the various scripts.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=401}}{{Sfn|Rutkoff|Scott|1995|p=216}}

To construct the set, Graham hired [[Isamu Noguchi]], a sculptor and common collaborator with the company. While planning, she took Noguchi to the [[Museum of Modern Art]] and showed him [[Alberto Giacometti]]'s sculpture ''[[The Palace at 4 a.m.]]''{{Efn|See a picture of the statue at the [https://www.moma.org/collection/works/80928 Museum of Modern Art's website].}} as a reference for what she wanted:{{Sfn|Graham|1991|p=223}} something depicting the inside and outside of a house without actually dividing it, a sort of blurred mix. Noguchi's use of an outline of a house served as a metaphor for the general idea of the work being about "the bone structure of a people's living".{{Sfn|Franko|2012|p=47}}{{Sfn|Thomas|1995|pp=154–155}} The set featured the outline of a house, part of a porch with a ledge, a rocking chair, a small fence, and a tree stump (serving as the Revivalist's [[pulpit]]).{{Sfn|Stodelle|1984|p=125}}{{Sfn|Stodelle|1984|pp=154–155}} Edythe Gilfond created the costumes and [[Jean Rosenthal]] designed the lighting.<ref name=":6">{{Cite encyclopedia |year=1998 |title=''Appalachian Spring'' |encyclopedia=International Encyclopedia of Dance |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=New York |url=https://archive.org/details/internationalenc0000unse_r8u1/mode/2up |access-date=August 17, 2023 |last=Jowitt |first=Deborah |author-link=Deborah Jowitt |editor-last=Cohen |editor-first=Selma Jeanne |editor-link=Selma Jeanne Cohen |volume=1 |pages=96–97 |isbn=978-0-19-512305-0}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Simmons |first=Patricia |date=January 24, 1945 |title=Second Concert of Season for Graham Group |pages=15 |work=[[The Washington Star|Evening Star]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-star-second-concert-of-season-fo/130755027/ |access-date=August 17, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com |archive-date=August 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827201906/https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-star-second-concert-of-season-fo/130755027/ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Sfn|Rutkoff|Scott|1995|p=221}}

Many changes were made to the scenario after the score was finished. The Younger Sister, the Two Children, and the Neighbors were all cut, and the rest of the cast was renamed: the Daughter to the Bride; the Citizen to the Husbandman; the Mother to the Pioneer Woman; and the Fugitive to the [[Revivalist movement|Revivalist]].{{Efn|For the sake of consistency, this article will use these new names from now on.}}{{Sfn|Philip|2018|p=183}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=402}} Four Followers of the Revivalist were added to the cast for a total of nine dancers in the ballet.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=402}} The choreography often deviated from both the final scenario and Copland's annotations in the score; for example, the closing love duet between the Bride and the Husbandman became a dance between the Revivalist and his four Followers.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|pp=402–403}} Regardless, Copland was not irritated by this, later commenting, "That kind of decision is the choreographer's, and it doesn't bother me a bit, especially when it works."<ref>{{Harvtxt|Philip|2018|p=183}} quoting {{Harvtxt|Pollack|1999|p=393}}.</ref> The cast at the premiere starred Graham as the Bride, Hawkins as the Husbandman, [[May O'Donnell]] as the Pioneer Woman, and [[Merce Cunningham]] as the Revivalist.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=404}} [[Yuriko (dancer)|Yuriko]], [[Pearl Lang]], Nina Fonaroff, and [[Marjorie Mazia]] danced the Revivalist's followers.{{Sfn|Oja|Tick|2005|p=137}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Simmons |first=Patricia |date=October 31, 1944 |title=Graham Group Dances Trio of New Works |pages=25 |work=[[The Washington Star|Evening Star]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-star-graham-group-dances-trio-of/130755195/ |url-status=live |access-date=August 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230815222623/https://www.newspapers.com/image/868074064/ |archive-date=August 15, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

Graham's performance was young and lively, which critics praised.{{Sfn|de Mille|1991|p=261}}<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=Emily |date=April 8, 2019 |title=When Autumn in D.C. Felt Like an Appalachian Spring |url=https://boundarystones.weta.org/2019/04/08/when-autumn-dc-felt-appalachian-spring |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230812214126/https://boundarystones.weta.org/2019/04/08/when-autumn-dc-felt-appalachian-spring |archive-date=August 12, 2023 |access-date=August 12, 2023 |website=Boundary Stones |publisher=WETA |language=en}}</ref> On the contrary, Hawkins was stiffer and exhibited the masculinity of the role, but later performers were more supple with movements. Cunningham, who choreographed his own solo during "Fear of the Night", was instructed to display great anger; Graham later described the role to a new dancer as being "ninety-nine percent sex and one percent religion: a real popular spellbinder, a magnetic man who had power over women."{{Sfn|de Mille|1991|p=261}} Graham's vision for the four Followers was spontaneity; they would remain perfectly still until their time came, and when they did dance, it would be with energy and focus. [[Agnes de Mille]], fellow choreographer and close friend of Graham's, pointed out that many subsequent productions featured cute and perky Followers, but that this was not Graham's original intention.{{Sfn|de Mille|1991|pp=262, 510}} Much of the contrast between female and male characters was intentional. While the female characters remained bouncy and light, the male characters were stiff and took up much space.{{Sfn|Franko|2012|pp=62–63}}

The press described the choreography as simple and precise.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":7">{{Cite news |last=Evans |first=Lee |date=May 20, 1945 |title=Vivid Impressions Are Made By Latest Graham Dances |pages=35 |work=[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-enquirer-vivid-impression/130755522/ |access-date=August 17, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com |archive-date=August 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827201817/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-enquirer-vivid-impression/130755522/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite news |last=Martin |first=John |date=May 15, 1941 |title=Graham Dancers Open at National: ''Appalachian Spring'' Premiere Feature of First of Seven Programs by Troupe |pages=23 |work=[[The New York Times]] |id={{ProQuest|107299477}}}}</ref> Despite being set during such a scenario, the choreography does not explicitly depict a wedding; rather, the dance expresses the emotions of individual characters.<ref name=":6" /> This non-literal plot allowed for free emotional interpretation by the audience.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kastendieck |first=Miles |date=May 15, 1945 |title=Martha Graham Introduces ''Appalachian Spring'' in Opening at the National |pages=15 |work=[[The Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-martha-graham-i/130755593/ |access-date=August 17, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com |archive-date=August 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827201817/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-martha-graham-i/130755593/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Bride's movements featured quick patterns that stayed within an imaginary box around her. This contrasted with the Revivalist's strict posture and the flowing movements of the Pioneer Woman.<ref>{{Cite news |last=W. |first=P. |date=January 28, 1945 |title=The Dance |pages=12 |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-the-dance/130755655/ |access-date=August 17, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com |archive-date=August 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827201832/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-boston-globe-the-dance/130755655/ |url-status=live }}</ref> One reviewer pointed out the solitude of the characters and its manifestation in their movements, writing, "The separateness of still figures... which their poses emphasize, suggests that people who live in these hills are accustomed to spending much of their time alone."<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 10, 1945 |title=Martha Graham in New Triumphs in New York |pages=8 |work=[[Santa Barbara News-Press]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/santa-barbara-news-press-martha-graham-i/130755743/ |access-date=August 17, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com |archive-date=August 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827202346/https://www.newspapers.com/article/santa-barbara-news-press-martha-graham-i/130755743/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Initial run and reception ===
''Appalachian Spring'' premiered on October 30, 1944, at the [[Coolidge Auditorium]], conducted by [[Louis Horst]], the music director of the company.{{Efn|''Appalachian Spring'' premiered alongside two other Coolidge commissions: ''[[Hérodiade (ballet)|Hérodiade]]'', set to music by Hindemith, and ''[[Imagined Wing]]'', set to music titled ''Jeux de Printemps'' by [[Milhaud]].<ref name="loc1"></ref>}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|pp=391, 404}}{{Sfn|Stodelle|1984|p=129}} The premiere was the closing concert of a four-day chamber music festival honoring Coolidge's 80th birthday.{{Sfn|Copland|Crist|Shirley|2008|p=164}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Martin |first=J. |date=October 8, 1944 |title=Announcement of a Performance of Martha Graham's Commission by the Coolidge Foundation |work=[[The New York Times]] |type=PDF |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200153490/ |url-status=live |access-date=August 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230812215624/https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200153490/ |archive-date=August 12, 2023 |via=[[Library of Congress]]}}</ref> Copland had not attended any of the rehearsals at Graham's request, first seeing the full performance a day before the premiere.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Lunden |first=Jeff |date=November 13, 2000 |title=''Appalachian Spring'' |work=[[All Things Considered]] |publisher=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2000/11/13/1113916/npr-100-i-appalachian-spring-i |access-date=August 13, 2023 |archive-date=August 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813125641/https://www.npr.org/2000/11/13/1113916/npr-100-i-appalachian-spring-i |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=393}} The ballet was well-received by critics and the public.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=404}}<ref name="loc1">{{Cite web |title=''Appalachian Spring'' |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200154833/ |access-date=August 12, 2023 |website=[[Library of Congress]] |archive-date=February 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230221230428/https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200154833 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Sfn|Stodelle|1984|p=130}} ''[[The New York Times]]'' critic [[John Martin (dance critic)|John Martin]] wrote of the music, "Aaron Copland has written a score of fresh and singing beauty. It is, on its surface, a piece of early Americana, but in reality it is a celebration of the human spirit."<ref name=":8">{{Cite news |last=Martin |first=John |date=November 1, 1944 |title=Graham Dancers in Festival Finale: Repeat Earlier Performance of Three New Works on the Library of Congress Stage |pages=19 |work=[[The New York Times]] |id={{ProQuest|106763600}}}}</ref> The ''Dance Observer'' critic Robert Sabin wrote of the story, "''Appalachian Spring'' works outward into the basic experiences of people living together, love, religious belief, marriage, children, work and human society."<ref name="loc1" /> The dance was also praised; Martin continued, "There is throughout the work a very moving sense of the future, of the fine and simple idealism which animates the highest human motives."<ref name=":8" /> The dance critic Walter Terry praised Graham in particular, writing in 1953, "Miss Graham brought to the role a wonderful radiance which dominated the entire ballet."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Terry |first=Walter |url=https://archive.org/details/iwasthereselecte0000terr/mode/2up |title=I Was There: Selected Dance Reviews and Articles, 1936-1976 |publisher=Marcel Dekker |year=1978 |isbn=978-0-8247-6524-8 |editor-last=Wentink |editor-first=Andrew Mark |series=The Dance Program |location=New York |pages=275 |url-access=limited}}</ref> The group of dancers was commended for being well-trained and enthusiastic.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Cochrane |first=Robert B. |date=November 1, 1944 |title=Festival of Chamber Music |pages=12 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-festival-of-chamber-mu/130755361/ |access-date=August 17, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com |archive-date=August 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827202348/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-festival-of-chamber-mu/130755361/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Copland's idea for ordinary music continued to be popular; one reviewer commented that it was "comprehensible even to the bored businessman".{{Sfn|Franko|2012|p=52}} Copland himself had a modest opinion of the premiere; a week later, he wrote in a letter: "People seemed to like it so I guess it was all right."{{Sfn|Copland|Crist|Shirley|2008|p=170}}

The great demand for tickets caused a repeat of the October 30 program to occur the following evening.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 26, 1944 |title=Graham Program To Be Repeated |pages=34 |work=[[The Washington Star|Evening Star]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-star-graham-program-to-be-repeat/130755823/ |url-status=live |access-date=August 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230815222624/https://www.newspapers.com/image/868073282/?terms=%22appalachian%20spring%22%20copland&match=1 |archive-date=August 15, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Shortly after the premiere, the Graham Company took ''Appalachian Spring'' on tour across the United States with the same cast. The debut show of the tour took place in [[Washington, D.C.]], on January 23, 1945.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=404}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Martin |first=John |date=January 14, 1945 |title=The Dance; American Trio – Other Events |pages=X4 |work=[[The New York Times]] |id={{ProQuest|107354492}}}}</ref> The New York premiere of the ballet occurred days after [[Victory in Europe Day]]; the ballet's American populist themes, combined with Copland winning the [[Pulitzer Prize for Music]] in the same week, caused this show to be even more successful.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=404}}{{sfn|Oja|Tick|2005|p=135}}{{Sfn|Ross|2007|p=404}} After every performance sold out, the New York run was extended by one night.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Martin |first=John |date=May 17, 1945 |title=Graham Dancers Offer a Novelty: ''John Brown'' Seen at National, With Erick Hawkins and Will Hare in the Cast |pages=15 |work=[[The New York Times]] |id={{ProQuest|107238616}}}}</ref>

=== Later performances ===
''Appalachian Spring'' remains an essential production in the [[Martha Graham Dance Company]] repertoire.<ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Allen |first=Erin |date=October 9, 2014 |title=Documenting Dance: The Making of {{'}}''Appalachian Spring''{{'}} |url=https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2014/10/documenting-dance-the-making-of-appalachian-spring/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827202350/https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2014/10/documenting-dance-the-making-of-appalachian-spring/ |archive-date=August 27, 2023 |access-date=August 17, 2023 |website=[[Library of Congress]]}}</ref> Due to the high cost of licensing, the ballet was not performed by another company until 1998, when the [[Colorado Ballet]] staged it led by artistic director Martin Fredmann.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Spiegel |first=Jan Ellen |date=October 11, 1998 |title=Dance; ''Appalachian Spring'' Finds Renewal in the Rockies |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/11/arts/dance-appalachian-spring-finds-renewal-in-the-rockies.html |url-status=live |access-date=August 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230818030028/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/11/arts/dance-appalachian-spring-finds-renewal-in-the-rockies.html |archive-date=August 18, 2023}}</ref> In 2013, the [[Baltimore School for the Arts]] put on a production for the "Appalachian Spring Festival" in association with the Graham Company, which featured a complete performance of the ballet and various art exhibits. It marked the first time a non-professional company was granted permission from the [[Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance|Martha Graham Center]] to perform the ballet.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Tim |date=April 7, 2013 |title={{'}}''Appalachian Spring''{{'}} Training |pages=E1, E7 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-appalachian-spring-t/130755939/ |url-status=live |access-date=August 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827202354/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-baltimore-sun-appalachian-spring-t/130755939/ |archive-date=August 27, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> ''Appalachian Spring'' has been performed by numerous dance companies since, including the Onium Ballet Project in Hawaii,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mark |first=Steven |date=February 25, 2011 |title=Copland Revisited: A New Choreography of {{'}}''Appalachian Spring''{{'}} Has the Ballet in a New Milieu |pages=79 |work=[[Honolulu Star-Advertiser]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/honolulu-star-advertiser-copland-revisit/130756040/ |url-status=live |access-date=August 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827202015/https://www.newspapers.com/article/honolulu-star-advertiser-copland-revisit/130756040/ |archive-date=August 27, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> the [[Nashville Ballet]] in Tennessee,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stumpfl |first=Amy |date=March 6, 2016 |title=Nashville Ballet Season Includes Fresh Looks at Familiar Stories |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/life/arts/2016/03/06/nashville-ballet-season-includes-fresh-looks-familiar-stories/81217310/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827201553/https://www.tennessean.com/story/life/arts/2016/03/06/nashville-ballet-season-includes-fresh-looks-familiar-stories/81217310/ |archive-date=August 27, 2023 |access-date=August 18, 2023 |website=[[The Tennessean]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Dance Kaleidoscope in Indiana,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bongiovanni |first=Domenica |date=May 31, 2018 |title=Indy Dancers Are Presenting {{'}}''Appalachian Spring''{{'}} |pages=A18 |work=[[The Indianapolis Star]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indianapolis-star-indy-dancers-are-p/130756170/ |access-date=August 18, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> and the [[Sarasota Ballet]] in Florida.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=October 7, 2021 |title=The Sarasota Ballet Returns With New World |url=https://www.balletherald.com/the-sarasota-ballet-returns-with-new-world/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230818121905/https://www.balletherald.com/the-sarasota-ballet-returns-with-new-world/ |archive-date=August 18, 2023 |access-date=August 18, 2023 |website=The Ballet Herald |language=en-US}}</ref>

Many consider ''Appalachian Spring'' one of Copland's best works;<ref name=":1" />{{Sfn|Crist|2005|p=176}} it holds equal notability in the Graham company's repertoire.{{Sfn|de Mille|1991|p=262}}{{Sfn|Robertson|1999|p=8}} The critic [[Terry Teachout]] wrote, "It is probably the greatest piece of classical music composed by an American. Certainly the greatest dance score composed by an American, completely comparable in quality to the great ballets of [[Tchaikovsky]] or [[Stravinsky]]. All that is best about mid-century American music is in this piece."<ref name=":1" /> In addition, the ballet was essential to the development of modern American ballet;{{Sfn|Rutkoff|Scott|1995|pp=210–211}} it and Copland's other Americana works represent the leftist national ideals important to the postwar era,{{Sfn|Oja|Tick|2005|pp=140–141}} but use traditional themes, steering away from the outwardly political works of many New York artists at the time.{{Sfn|Rutkoff|Scott|1995|p=210}} Lynn Garafola compared Copland and Graham's collaboration to that of Stravinsky and [[Diaghilev]]; whereas Stravinsky composed purely Russian scores for Diaghilev's [[Ballets Russes]], Copland composed American music for Graham's company, helping define American dance.{{Sfn|Oja|Tick|p=141|2005}}

== Themes ==
[[File:Battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864.jpg|thumb|Themes of war, particularly the [[American Civil War]], are present throughout ''Appalachian Spring''.|alt=Chromolithograph of a large battle. One group displays the Confederate battle flag and the other displays an American flag.]]
Themes of war are present throughout the conflict of ''Appalachian Spring''.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=403}}{{Sfn|Crist|2005|p=165}} The central conflict begins in the "Fear in the Night" episode, where the Revivalist delivers a haunting [[sermon]]. [[Howard Pollack]] argued that this scene represented the spirit of [[John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry]], something that could cause the Husbandman to be drafted in the Civil War. Furthermore, the subsequent "Day of Wrath" episode can be seen as the Husbandman leaving for war, depicted with waves of goodbye. "Moment of Crisis" is an expression of anxiety and concern for the Husbandman, and "The Lord's Day" is a prayer for peace and safety. When the Husbandman rejoins the Bride at the end, Pollack suggests this is actually in her imagination, further supported by her final gesture of reaching out to the horizon.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=403}} Mark Franko says that the Civil War themes are possibly a reference to the [[civil rights movement]] and ongoing [[racial inequality in the United States]].{{Sfn|Franko|2012|p=51}}

The opening of the music uses delicately placed [[Consonance and dissonance|dissonances]] to create a dreamy landscape. In the scripts Copland worked from, this scene was to feature the Pioneer Woman sitting "terrifyingly still" and looking over her land. Elizabeth Crist speculates that the entire ballet is the Pioneer Woman's memory; Crist suggests that the dissonances in the music depict the Pioneer Woman reflecting on the hardships she faced, and that the following episodes are entirely her own experiences.{{Sfn|Crist|2005|p=172}} Crist continues that when the opening themes are recalled at the end of the ballet, the Bride disconnects from the Pioneer Woman's memory, becoming her own individual memory; the Bride sits where the Pioneer Woman sat at the beginning, the context having shifted to a new time. Crist describes this as an embodiment of the link between wars among generations: as the youth during World War II saw similar circumstances to the generation of the Civil War, the Bride represents the common experiences of people living on the homefront during the 19th and 20th centuries.{{Sfn|Crist|2005|p=176}} Graham's explanation for this was the fluidity of time, where younger generations feel the ramifications of things the older generations experienced.{{Sfn|Franko|2012|pp=47–48}}

[[Shakers|Shaker]] themes are also heavily present in ''Appalachian Spring''.{{Sfn|Oja|Tick|2005|p=138}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=400}} This idea is found in the original "House of Victory" script, where the Pioneer Woman is said to sit in a "Shaker rocking chair".{{Sfn|Oja|Tick|2005|p=138}}{{Sfn|Franko|2012|p=61}} Copland's interest in Shakers was not new, as they became a common subject of American art during the Great Depression.{{Sfn|Oja|Tick|2005|p=138}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=400}} After Copland included the Shaker tune "[[Simple Gifts]]" into the "Interlude", Graham added "The Lord's Prayer" as a possible "Shaker meeting".{{Efn|In her 1991 autobiography, Graham actually claimed that she heard the tune in a cathedral and asked Copland to include it in ''Appalachian Spring''.{{sfn|Graham|1991|p=105}}}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|pp=398, 401}} Copland had decided to use "Simple Gifts" early on; by extracting a basic melodic motif from the tune, he created [[Variation (music)|variations]] on it throughout the composition, first referring to it in the opening measures.{{sfn|Rutkoff|Scott|1995|p=218}}<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Salas |first=Juan Orrego |date=Autumn 1948 |title=Aaron Copland: A New York Composer |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S004029820005395X/type/journal_article |journal=[[Tempo (journal)|Tempo]] |language=en |publisher=Cambridge University Press |issue=9 |pages=16 |doi=10.1017/S004029820005395X |issn=0040-2982 |s2cid=143496980 |access-date=August 14, 2023|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The lyrics of "Simple Gifts" are connected to the ballet's themes of peace and remembrance during wartime: "'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free".{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=398}}

== Instrumentation ==
The original ballet and subsequent suite for chamber orchestra are scored for:{{Sfn|Copland|Crist|Shirley|2008|p=157}}<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=October 7, 2019 |title=''Appalachian Spring'': Complete Ballet for 13 Instruments, As Premiered by Martha Graham in 1944 |url=https://www.aaroncopland.com/works/appalachian-spring-ballet-in-one-act-for-thirteen-instruments/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813145647/https://www.aaroncopland.com/works/appalachian-spring-ballet-in-one-act-for-thirteen-instruments/ |archive-date=August 13, 2023 |access-date=August 13, 2023 |publisher=Aaron Copland |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=July 16, 2019 |title=''Appalachian Spring'' Suite: Version for 13 Instruments |url=https://www.aaroncopland.com/works/appalachian-spring-suite-for-thirteen-instruments/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813151114/https://www.aaroncopland.com/works/appalachian-spring-suite-for-thirteen-instruments/ |archive-date=August 13, 2023 |access-date=August 13, 2023 |publisher=Aaron Copland |language=en}}</ref>

{{col-begin}}
{{col-break|width=38%}}
'''[[Woodwind]]s'''
:1 [[Western concert flute|flute]]
:1 [[clarinet]] in B{{flat}}
:1 [[bassoon]]
'''[[Percussion]]'''
:[[piano]]
{{col-break}}
'''[[String instrument|Strings]]'''
:2 first and 2 second [[violin]]s
:2 [[viola]]s
:2 [[cello]]s
:1 [[double bass]]
{{col-end}}

The suite for orchestra and ballet arrangement for orchestra are scored for:<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=July 16, 2019 |title=''Appalachian Spring'' Suite: Version for Orchestra |url=https://www.aaroncopland.com/works/appalachian-spring-suite-for-full-orchestra/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813152613/https://www.aaroncopland.com/works/appalachian-spring-suite-for-full-orchestra/ |archive-date=August 13, 2023 |access-date=August 13, 2023 |publisher=Aaron Copland |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=October 9, 2019 |title=''Appalachian Spring'': Newly Completed Orchestration of the Full Ballet, 2016 |url=https://www.aaroncopland.com/works/appalachian-spring-ballet-in-one-act-for-full-orchestra/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813152614/https://www.aaroncopland.com/works/appalachian-spring-ballet-in-one-act-for-full-orchestra/ |archive-date=August 13, 2023 |access-date=August 13, 2023 |publisher=Aaron Copland |language=en}}</ref>

{{col-begin}}
{{col-break|width=38%}}
'''[[Woodwind]]s'''
:2 flutes (second doubling [[piccolo]])
:2 [[oboe]]s
:2 clarinets in B{{flat}}
:2 bassoons
'''[[Brass instrument|Brass]]'''
:2 [[French horn|horns]] in F
:2 [[trumpet]]s in B{{flat}}
:2 [[trombone]]s
{{col-break|width=30%}}
'''[[Percussion]]'''
:[[timpani]]
:[[glockenspiel]]
:[[xylophone]]
:[[cymbal]]s
:[[Triangle (musical instrument)|triangle]]
:[[claves]]
:[[Woodblock (instrument)|woodblock]]
:[[bass drum]]
:[[snare drum]]
:[[tambourine]]
:piano
{{col-break}}
'''[[String instrument|Strings]]'''
:violins I, II
:violas
:cellos
:double bass
:[[harp]]
{{col-end}}

== Music and plot ==
=== Prologue ===
{{Block indent|<score sound="1">
\layout { indent = 1\cm }
\relative c''
<<
\new Staff \with { instrumentName = "B♭ Cl." } { \set Staff.midiInstrument = "clarinet" \clef treble \transposition bes \key b \major \time 4/4 \tempo "Very slowly" 4 = 66 { s1 | r2 b\p( | dis4 fis dis fis)~ | fis r } }
\new Staff \with { instrumentName = "Vla." } { \set Staff.midiInstrument = "violin" \clef alto \key a \major \time 4/4 \tempo "Very slowly" 4 = 66 { r2 a,,4\mp--\upbow( a--) | a1--~\> | a1~\! | a2 } }
>> </score>}}The ballet opens with a soft, quiet A major triad in the clarinet.{{Sfn|Copland|2000|p=1}}{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|p=62}} The cello sustains the A [[Tonic (music)|tonic]] while the flute, violin, and viola stack build the A major triad again, this time with the [[Dominant (music)|dominant]] chord (E major) stacked in top. This creates a luminous scenescape, but the dissonances foreshadow danger.{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|pp=62–63}}{{Sfn|Crist|2005|pp=171–172}} Copland conjures images of a pastoral scene by ending the chords with a deep tonic in the piano and following it with a shepherd flute-like reiteration of the triad.{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|pp=63–64}} This opening polychord, consisting of the tonic A major and dominant E major, is found throughout the score as a foundation for many of the melodies and tonalities.{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|p=64}} The Revivalist enters first, in darkness, followed by the Pioneer Woman, who takes a seat in her rocking chair. Then the Husbandman and Bride enter; as the Husbandman pauses to observe the home, daylight illuminates the stage.{{Sfn|Rutkoff|Scott|1995|p=220}}{{Sfn|Thomas|1995|p=155}} The four Followers join the Revivalist, who has observed the land with the Pioneer Woman.{{Sfn|Rutkoff|Scott|1995|p=221}} The two-minute opening has set up the themes present throughout the ballet, and Copland employed the upwards building of chords to depict a "nonmilitant fanfare", as Graham described in the early scripts.{{Sfn|Rutkoff|Scott|1995|p=221}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=397}}

=== Eden Valley ===
{{Block indent|<score sound="1"> \relative c''' { \set Staff.midiInstrument = "piano" \clef treble \key c \major \time 4/4 \tempo "Allegro" 4 = 160 a8_\markup { \dynamic f \italic \small { vigoroso } }-> a, a'4 a8 cis a4->~ | a1\fermata | e'8->[ a,] e[ cis] a[ e] a,4->~ | a1\fermata } </score>
}}

An ''allegro'' melody bursts forth as the Daughter bounds from inside the home.{{Sfn|Copland|2000|p=5}} The melodies of "Eden Valley", meant to express the Bride's joy, use elements of an "old-fashioned [[Swing music|swing]]" described in the early scripts.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=397}} The new melody is followed by a bouncy restatement of the polychord from the "Prologue". A [[chorale]]-like second theme is introduced alongside the first. This chorale features odd rhythms between the different voices; while the upper line emphasizes the second beat, the bass line accents the first and third beats.{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|p=66}} The music calms down to a ''moderato''; as the Husbandman enters, jagged rhythms show his awkward movement, but it is twice interrupted by the gentle chorale.{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|pp=66–67}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=397}}

As the two back out of the home, the couple dances a duet, this time accompanied by a new, more forceful theme in the strings. A descending melodic line is contrasted with the chorale theme; this connection of themes is seen throughout the episode and was used by Graham to easily shift the characters. The two receive the blessings of the Pioneer Woman and the Revivalist. This section is reminiscent of the Cowgirl's music from ''Rodeo'', or the soft parts of ''Lincoln Portrait'' for the love theme; near the end, the clarinet brings back the chorale, and the flute answers, a [[call and response]] between the Bride and the Husbandman.{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|p=67}}{{Sfn|Crist|2005|p=172}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=397}} Throughout the episode, the Followers participate in various group solos; the group often features a "spiraling" motion, moving into a kneeling position. "Eden Valley" closes with the Followers returning to the bench, each taking a seat one by one. Illustrating the choreography's close connection to the music, the moment each Follower sits is cued by a short motif in the woodwinds.{{Sfn|Robertson|1999|p=10}}

=== Wedding Day ===
{{Block indent|<score sound="1"> \relative c''' { \set Staff.midiInstrument = "clarinet" \clef treble \transposition bes \key des \major \time 4/4 \tempo "Fast" 4 = 132 r8 ges_\markup { \dynamic mp \italic \small { playfully } }-. f-.[ des-.] ees16( f ges8-.) aes4-- } </score>}}

A playful, childlike melody springs from the clarinet,{{Sfn|Copland|2000|p=23}} opening the first part of "Wedding Day" and signifying the start of festivities. Graham wanted the first part to have "a little sense of a [[County fair|County Fair]], a little of a revival meeting, a party, a picnic"; Copland achieves this by relating the music to [[square dancing]] and [[fiddling]].{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|p=68}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=397}} The music becomes heavier and the jagged rhythms return for the Husbandman's [[Davy Crockett]]-esque solo; the love theme returns in the calmer music as the Husbandman carries the Bride into the home.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|pp=397–398}} The second part of "Wedding Day" depicts the "old fashion charivari" mentioned in the scripts. The joyous and bouncy music uses [[Scale (music)|scales]] and rhythmic jolts to conjure the image of party and celebration.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=398}} The Bride dances a rhythmically complex solo, similar to the Husbandman's dance in the first part. Instrument sections are clearly divided by quick jumps through changing [[Metre (music)|metres]]. The uneven rhythms are replaced by consistent eighth notes, starting a light ''presto''; here, Stravinsky's influence on Copland is evident in the ''[[Petrushka (ballet)|Petrushka]]''-like ascending and descending scales.{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|p=69}} As the music calms down with a restatement of the chorale, the Revivalist dances with his Followers before the full cast proceeds onstage. A reprise of the calm opening (marked ''as at first'') follows the characters as they exit for a walk; the light focuses on the Pioneer Woman's face, then fades into darkness as "Simple Gifts" begins.{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|p=70}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=398}}

=== Interlude ===
{{Shaker music}}
{{Block indent|<score sound="1"> \relative c' { \set Staff.midiInstrument = "clarinet" \clef treble \transposition bes \key aes \major \time 4/4 \tempo "Doppio movimento" 4 = 72 \partial 2*1 ees2( \bar "||" \time 2/4 aes8) aes16( bes c aes c des | ees8) ees16( des c8) } </score>}}Copland used the Shaker song "[[Simple Gifts]]" throughout much of ''Appalachian Spring'', first playing it in its entirety at the start of the "Interlude".<ref name=":2" />{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=398}}{{Sfn|Copland|2000|pp=56–57}} In the "Interlude", four variations on "Simple Gifts" are introduced, some fitting the atmosphere of the action on stage (like one variation reminiscent of the clip-clop of a horse's hooves). Most of the variations leave the melody essentially the same, changing other elements of the music, such as the harmony and instrumentation. This technique was meant to depict the lives of various townspeople doing their daily rounds, while the Husbandman and the Bride dance joyfully.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=398}}{{Sfn|Rutkoff|Scott|1995|p=222}} The two are strongly connected throughout the duet, signified by eye contact, ease of physical touch, and openness of the body.{{Sfn|Thomas|1995|p=157}} Partway through, the Revivalist and his Followers join in. The Revivalist solos in close alignment with the bassoon, accompanied by the Followers.{{Sfn|Robertson|1999|pp=11, 13}} During the half-speed fourth variation played as a [[Canon (music)|canon]] in the woodwinds, the Revivalist dominantly watches the couple's high-spirited duet, and follows them as they walk into the home.{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|p=71}}{{Sfn|Crist|2005|p=172}}{{Sfn|Thomas|1995|p=157}}

=== Fear in the Night, Day of Wrath, Moment of Crisis ===
{{Block indent|<score sound="1"> {
\new PianoStaff \with { instrumentName = "Pno." } <<
\new Staff \relative c,, { \clef bass \key aes \major \time 2/4 \tempo "Fast" 4 = 152 f16\p( c' aes c bes-. r8)\bar "|" }
>> } </score>}}
The music of "Fear of the Night" nervously jolts and twitches, like the "Gun Battle" in ''Billy the Kid''.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|pp=398–399}}{{Sfn|Copland|2000|p=70}} Fragmented "stingers", as Fauser called them, make the fast section the most "filmic" part of Copland's score.{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|p=71}} The Revivalist takes off his hat and approaches the bowing Husbandman and Bride.{{Sfn|Crist|2005|p=172}} His Followers surround him as he warns the couple of their eventual separation due to the war.{{Sfn|Rutkoff|Scott|1995|p=222}} His agonized, frenzied dance was informed by the "dark" experiences of [[Peter Sparling]], a dancer in the company who danced the role in later productions; his emotional interpretation influenced future dancers of the role.{{Sfn|Robertson|1999|pp=13, 15}} The Revivalist's solo uses violent shaking to relate the dance to traditional Shaker festivities; the shaking travels throughout the body, like a spirit trying to escape the body.{{Sfn|Thomas|1995|pp=156–157}} The demonstration scares the Bride and sends her into turmoil, but she quickly rejoins the Husbandman and accepts the risks of her love.{{Sfn|Rutkoff|Scott|1995|p=222}}

In "Day of Wrath", Copland was "riffing rather aimeously of the arpeggiated polychord of the opening{{Nbsp}}... strengthened by an elusive displacement of the beat", Fauser wrote.{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|p=73}} The Pioneer Woman enters with deep anger, and after prayer, she enters the home. The Husbandman leaves the home and performs a leaping solo, where the music uses a distorted version of the A major "Wedding Day" music stacked atop B minor harmonies to evoke anguish as he waves goodbye and exits.{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|p=73}}{{Sfn|Crist|2005|p=174}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=399}}

The Bride opens "Moment of Crisis" by frantically running across the stage, and the other women join in an anxious frenzy. The music becomes rushed and agitated into perpetual motion; consistent sixteenth-note patterns jump around the orchestra, with no sense of musical direction.{{Sfn|Crist|2005|pp=174–175}}{{Sfn|Thomas|1995|p=160}} The tonality is unstable and different from the common tonal language used in the rest of the score.{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|p=73}} The music begins to calm and the chorale returns as the Husbandman briefly comes back to dance with the Bride. Another variation of "Simple Gifts" underlines the Husbandman's slow drift away, and a grand, final restatement of the Shaker tune signals the end of the fear as the Pioneer Woman dances with the Followers.{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|p=74}}{{Sfn|Crist|2005|pp=174–175}}{{Sfn|Thomas|1995|p=160}}

=== The Lord's Day ===
{{Block indent|<score sound="1"> {
<<
\new Staff \relative c'' { \set Staff.midiInstrument = "string ensemble 1" \set Staff.midiMaximumVolume = #0.6 \clef treble \key c \major \time 3/4 \tempo "Moderato (like a prayer)" 4 = 66 r4 <g ees bes>4--(_\markup { \dynamic pp \italic \small { misterioso } } <f d a>)-- | \time 4/4 <e c g>( <g e! b!>2) <f d a>4~ | \time 3/4 <f d a>) }
\new Staff \relative c { \set Staff.midiInstrument = "string ensemble 1" \clef bass \key c \major \time 3/4 r4 ees--(\pp g,--) | c( e!2) d4~ | \time 3/4 d } >>
} </score>}}

A gentle hymnlike melody, marked "like a prayer", is heard in the strings as the community gathers for prayer.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=399}}{{Sfn|Crist|2005|p=175}}{{Sfn|Copland|2000|p=97}} The chorale is stated a final time, followed by the return of the opening theme.{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|pp=74–75}} Graham wrote that this episode "could have the feeling of a Shaker meeting where the movement is strange and ordered and possessed or it could have the feeling of a negro church with the lyric ecstasy of the spiritual about it".{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=396}} The Bride dances her final solo and finishes by putting her hand to her lips and then reaching out to the sky. The Husbandman returns and holds her briefly, but the Revivalist comes and touches his shoulder.{{Sfn|Crist|2005|p=175}} As the music from the "Prologue" returns, the Bride sits in the rocking chair that the Pioneer Woman sat in and she looks over the empty stage. The Husbandman rests his hand on her shoulder and the Bride reaches out at the clarinet's last note. The music slowly fades to silence on the opening polychord and the curtain falls.{{Sfn|Crist|2005|p=176}}{{Sfn|de Mille|1991|p=262}}{{Sfn|Fauser|2017|p=75}}

== Suites ==
In May 1945, Copland arranged the ballet into a suite for a [[symphony orchestra]], and many conductors programmed the work in the following seasons.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|pp=404–405}} The suite for orchestra premiered in October of that year with the [[New York Philharmonic Orchestra]] conducted by [[Artur Rodziński|Artur Rodzinski]], and was well-received.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Downes |first=Olin |author-link=Olin Downes |date=October 5, 1945 |title=Rodzinski Offers Music of Copland: ''Appalachian Spring'' Heard as Philharmonic Opens Its 104th Season |pages=27 |work=[[The New York Times]] |id={{ProQuest|107240373}}}}</ref> Other American orchestras expressed interest in the suite, with the [[San Francisco Symphony Orchestra]], [[Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra]], Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra, and the [[Cleveland Orchestra]] scheduling it that season.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 1, 1945 |title=Events in the World of Music |pages=24 |work=[[The New York Times]] |id={{ProQuest|107151517}}}}</ref> Its great success made the (then on-tour) ballet even more popular, establishing Copland and Graham as highly regarded artists.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=405}} The Vienna premiere of the orchestral suite took place in November and the Australian premiere soon after.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 18, 1945 |title=Events in the World of Music |pages=50 |work=[[The New York Times]] |id={{ProQuest|107065750}}}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=December 28, 1945 |title=Abravanel Concert Tour: Conductor Off on Plane to Pay Australia a Visit |pages=21 |work=[[The New York Times]] |id={{ProQuest|107381676}}}}</ref> In January 1946, the Martha Graham Dance Company presented a new run of shows in New York, including ''Appalachian Spring'' on the program.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Martin |first=John |date=January 22, 1946 |title=Martha Graham Opens New Season: Dancer Starts 2-Week Run at the Plymouth in Impressive Fashion--3 Works Offered |pages=37 |work=[[The New York Times]] |id={{ProQuest|107690192}}}}</ref> By May 1946, the orchestral suite had received performances across the world.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 19, 1946 |title=It Happens in the World of Music |pages=X5 |work=[[The New York Times]] |id={{ProQuest|107787764}}}}</ref>

The orchestral suite is divided into eight sections, named by their tempo markings instead of episode titles in the ballet: "Prologue", "Eden Valley", "Wedding Day", "Interlude", and "The Lord's Day".{{Sfn|Philip|2018|p=184}} In the suites, Copland omitted the conflict of the story ("Fear in the Night", "Day of Wrath", and "Moment of Crisis"), making these episodes unfamiliar to the public and seldom recorded.{{Sfn|Philip|2018|p=184}}{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=398}} The popularity of the orchestral suite led to a number of other arrangements, including an arrangement of the full ballet for orchestra in 1954 and an arrangement of the "Simple Gifts" variations for band and later orchestra (1956 and 1967, respectively). In total, five versions of ''Appalachian Spring'' exist as created by Copland; listed in chronological order: the original ballet for 13 instruments, the suite for orchestra, a revised version of the ballet for 13 instruments, the revised ballet for orchestra, and the suite for 13 instruments. The orchestral suite remains the most well-known.{{Sfn|Pollack|1999|p=405}}

== Recordings ==
The first recording of ''Appalachian Spring'' was of the orchestral suite: the 1945 premiere of the suite by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra was recorded and reissued in 1999. The ballet for full orchestra was first recorded by the [[Philadelphia Orchestra]] in 1954, and [[Columbia Records]] released it four years later. The first recording of the original ballet was made in 1990 by Andrew Schenck and Hugh Wolff.<ref name=":4" /> In 1958, a film of the ballet was made with Graham in the lead role and [[Stuart Hodes]] dancing the Husbandman. The film was financed by [[WQED (TV)|WQED]], who had already produced one successful Graham film. Nathan Kroll, a musician who had a good understanding of the score, directed the film and consulted Louis Horst (the conductor of the premiere) to ensure the music was just as Copland wanted.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Delapp-Birkett |first=Jennifer |date=August 29, 2022 |title=Midday Thoughts: Which ''Appalachian Spring''? An Audiophile's Guide |url=https://www.aaroncopland.com/news/midday-thoughts-which-appalachian-spring-an-audiophiles-guide/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230730201747/https://www.aaroncopland.com/news/midday-thoughts-which-appalachian-spring-an-audiophiles-guide/ |archive-date=July 30, 2023 |access-date=August 14, 2023 |publisher=Aaron Copland |language=en}}</ref>{{Sfn|de Mille|1991|p=344}} Another version was made in 1976 for [[WNET]]'s ''Dance in America'' film series, with Yuriko in the leading role.<ref name=":6" />{{Sfn|Thomas|1995|p=150}} The choreography of both versions remained close to the original.{{Sfn|Thomas|1995|p=152}} {{As of|2023|post=,}} there are over 150 available commercial recordings of ''Appalachian Spring''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Copland: ''Appalachian Spring'' |url=https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/search?search_query=appalachian+spring |access-date=August 14, 2023 |website=Presto Classical |language=en |archive-date=August 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230814210709/https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/search?search_query=appalachian+spring |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Notes and references ==

=== Notes ===
{{Notelist}}

=== Citations ===
{{Reflist|20em}}

=== Sources ===
* {{cite book |last=Copland |first=Aaron |url=https://www.boosey.com/cr/perusals/score?id=38732 |title=Appalachian Spring |publisher=Boosey & Hawkes |year=2000 |type=score |author-link=Aaron Copland}}
* {{cite book |last1=Copland |first1=Aaron |url=https://archive.org/details/copland00aaro |title=Copland 1900 Through 1942 |last2=Perlis |first2=Vivian |publisher=St. Martins/Marek |year=1984 |isbn=978-0-312-16962-6 |location=New York |author-link2=Vivian Perlis |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |last1=Copland |first1=Aaron |title=The Selected Correspondence of Aaron Copland |last2=Crist |first2=Elizabeth B. |last3=Shirley |first3=Wayne |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-300-11121-7 |location=New Haven |doi=10.12987/9780300133479 |jstor=j.ctt1nq05k}}
* {{cite book |last=Crist |first=Elizabeth |url=https://archive.org/details/musicforcommonma0000cris_p3e8/mode/2up |title=Music for the Common Man: Aaron Copland During the Depression and War |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-19-538359-1 |location=Oxford |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |last=de Mille |first=Agnes |url=https://archive.org/details/marthalifeworkof0000demi/mode/2up |title=Martha: The Life and Work of Martha Graham |publisher=Hutchinson |year=1991 |isbn=978-0-09-175219-4 |edition=1st |location=London |author-link=Agnes de Mille |url-access=limited}}
* {{cite book |last=Fauser |first=Annegret |url=https://archive.org/details/aaroncoplandsapp0000faus/mode/2up |title=Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2017 |isbn=978-0-19-064687-5 |series=Oxford Keynotes |location=New York}}
* {{cite book |last=Franko |first=Mark |title=Martha Graham in Love and War: The Life in the Work |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-19-977766-2 |location=Oxford |pages=45–65 |chapter=2. Politics Under Erasure: Regionalism as Cryptology |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AZo6DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA45}}
* {{cite book |last=Graham |first=Martha |url=https://archive.org/details/bloodmemory00grah/mode/2up |title=Blood Memory |publisher=Doubleday |year=1991 |isbn=978-0-385-26503-4 |location=New York |author-link=Martha Graham |url-access=limited}}
* {{cite book |last1= |first1= |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780691124704 |title=Aaron Copland and His World |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-691-12470-4 |editor-last=Oja |editor-first=Carol J. |editor-link=Carol J. Oja |location=Princeton |editor-last2=Tick |editor-first2=Judith |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |last=Philip |first=Robert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fn-ADwAAQBAJ&pg=PP1 |title=The Classical Music Lover's Companion to Orchestral Music |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2018 |isbn=978-0-300-24272-0 |location=New Haven |pages=182–190 |chapter=Aaron Copland (1900–90) |chapter-url=}}
* {{cite book |last=Pollack |first=Howard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a3R-7_UWF4wC&pg=PP1 |title=Aaron Copland |publisher=Henry Holt and Company |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-8050-4909-1 |location=New York |author-link=Howard Pollack}}
* {{cite Grove |last1=Pollack |first1=Howard |date=2013 |title=Aaron Copland |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.A2249091}} {{Subscription required}}
* {{cite journal |last=Robertson |first=Marta |date=Spring 1999 |title=Musical and Choreographic Integration in Copland's and Graham's {{'}}''Appalachian Spring''{{'}} |journal=[[The Musical Quarterly]] |publisher=Oxford University Press |volume=83 |issue=1 |pages=6–26 |doi=10.1093/mq/83.1.6 |jstor=742256}}
* {{cite book |last=Ross |first=Alex |title=The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century |title-link=The Rest Is Noise |publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-312-42771-9 |edition=1st |location=New York |author-link=Alex Ross (music critic)}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Rutkoff |first1=Peter M. |last2=Scott |first2=William B. |date=October 1995 |title=Appalachian Spring: A Collaboration and a Transition |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/prospects/article/abs/appalachian-spring-a-collaboration-and-a-transition/0FC6C50D8F1B5D5AC4AE6401E83C624B |journal=Prospects |publisher=Cambridge University Press |volume=20 |pages=209–225 |doi=10.1017/S0361233300006062|url-access=subscription }}
* {{cite book |last=Stodelle |first=Ernestine |url=https://archive.org/details/deepsongdancesto0000stod/page/n5/mode/2up |title=Deep Song: The Dance Story of Martha Graham |publisher=Schirmer Books |year=1984 |isbn=978-0-02-872520-8 |location=London |url-access=limited}}
* {{cite book |last=Thomas |first=Helen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PiY116aKK40C&pg=PP1 |title=Dance, Modernity and Culture: Explorations in the Sociology of Dance |publisher=Routledge |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-415-08793-3 |location=London |chapter=''Appalachian Spring''}}

==External links==
*[https://www.loc.gov/collections/aaron-copland/about-this-collection/ Aaron Copland Collection] at the [[Library of Congress]]
*[https://www.loc.gov/collections/martha-graham/about-this-collection/ Martha Graham Collection] at the Library of Congress
*[https://www.loc.gov/item/2012562124/ Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation Collection] at the Library of Congress
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b02mxyy1 Tales from the Stave: Appalachian Spring] at [[BBC Radio 4]]

{{Aaron Copland}}
{{PulitzerPrize Music 1943–1950}}
{{Portal bar|1940s|Classical music|Theater|United States}}
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[[Category:Ballets by Martha Graham]]
[[Category:Ballets by Aaron Copland]]
[[Category:Music commissioned by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge]]
[[Category:Pulitzer Prize for Music–winning works]]
[[Category:1944 ballets]]
[[Category:Ballets with sets by Isamu Noguchi]]
[[Category:1944 compositions]]
[[Category:Orchestral suites]]
[[Category:Compositions for chamber orchestra]]
[[Category:Works based on Simple Gifts]]
[[Category:United States National Recording Registry recordings]]
[[Category:Ballets set in Pennsylvania]]