Music from Our Town

January 12, 2013

Music from Our Town

Remember Thornton Wilder's great American play, Our Town? In 1940 it was made into a movie, directed by Sam Wood, starring William Holden as George and Martha Scott as Emily. The great American composer Aaron Copeland wrote the music for the film.

These are three selections from a suite for piano from the film's music, played by Eric Parkin. Listening to them makes me acutely aware of Copeland's influence on so many of the musicians I like, including some of the young jazz guys like Taylor Eigsti.

Enjoy.

Comments

Ray Barnes said…

Thanks for that Penny. Although I have always liked what I know of Copeland, I had never heard this before.
It has hints of Sarti and is very much of its time, but has a lovely evocative quality.

January 12, 2013 at 10:10 AM

Bill Bynum said…

I agree with you, Penny. As one of the great American composers, Copland has had an enormous influence on music, American music in particular. Thanks for the clip. Thanks also for the earlier clip of Jeffrey's band playing a composition of Taylor Eigsti. I hate to admit it, but until you introduced me to Eigsti, the late Dave Brubeck was the youngest jazz pianist I knew.

January 12, 2013 at 10:39 AM