American composer Aaron Copland‘s best-known piece (surpassing even Fanfare for the Common Man) is a set of variations on the Shaker tune “Simple Gifts,” found in his ballet Appalachian Spring.

The ballet portrays the daily life of American pioneers in Pennsylvania; while it doesn’t have much of a specific plot, it covers themes of love, religion, dance. Copland’s use of “Simple Gifts” is much more than just setting a lovely tune – the words here express our modern fascination with the life of our ancestors. Theirs was certainly much more difficult, but perhaps free from the complexities that we face.

The Shakers are a truly fascinating religious group, and I recommend reading about them. They have dwindled down to three full members and one initiate, but are fully intent on continuing their work and their beliefs. Their worship included dance, and many of their hymns, like “Simple Gifts”, include not-so-hidden dance indications (turn!)

You’ve heard Carmina Burana before – everyone has, thanks to the opening chorus. People can’t get enough of this one. You can find it in movies, video games, commercials, sports events, and flash mobs (I was there!) It’s an awesome romp through the carnal pleasures of spring – some of the poems are quite erotic, some philosophical, some are brutal mockery, some are just plain weird, and yes, there are even fart jokes.

Poor Carl Orff – he was 40 when he composed Carmina (1936), and after it became so popular, he asked his publisher to destroy all his previous work, so that Carmina would be the beginning of his career, not the midpoint (or end?). The work was so well received that the Nazis allowed it to be performed, even though they disapproved of the erotic subject matter. The work’s popularity might be attributed to: 1) most movements follow simple song formats which are melodic and easy to remember, which was in stark contrast to much of the Art Music written at the time 2) a HUGE orchestra and chorus make this rock! 3) who doesn’t like a good dirty poem now and then?

This movement from Carmina is a poem about spring. I put “merry” in quotes because, if you didn’t know the text, you might think it was about something else – something much more somber and serious.

Stravinsky’s famous springtime piece is so famous, powerful, and legendary, that it’s easy to forget that it didn’t just materialize out of nowhere. The Rite of Spring sounds the way it does because music had actually been headed in that direction for a quite while. Don’t believe me? Well, a couple years before The Rite was premiered, Claude Debussy wrote Images for Orchestra, which, though not as primitive and raw, sounds very similar. Coincidentally, both pieces have a section called “Spring Rounds.”

what goes around, comes around?