The Great American Symphony

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The Great American Symphony After World War I, anti-German feelings started to diminish the dominance that European music had on American Composers. These composers wanted to break the traditions of European music and create a style and sound that was “American.” When Dvorak came to America, his thoughts and ideas boosted self-esteem among American composers, encouraging them to find their nationalistic voice. Composers started using musical themes from popular music and experimented with different forms. When an “American” sound was established, composers started to write pieces that they were hoping would become known as the definition of American music; music that is accessible to everyone and that is distinctively American. They wanted to write The Great American Symphony. Through their use of American styles and themes, Aaron Copland’s Third Symphony and William Schuman’s Third Symphony are considered to be in the category of the Great American Symphony. With European influence declining, American composers started seeking a national identity and a style of music that was truly “American.” According to Aaron Copland, American music is “music that would speak of universal things in a vernacular of American speech and rhythm.” Copland wanted American music to be more accessible to the general public. To achieve this, composers started using musical themes and ideas that ordinary people were familiar with. This created the emergence of a common musical style. Composers started quoting American hymns, spirituals, jazz, popular music, and traditional song and dance. The question now was which genre of composition would be used to show off this new American style. Composers and critics both agreed that the symphony would be used to compose the greatest American work. The symphony was chosen because symphonies are the “supreme testing ground for greatness.”
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