Nationalism in William Grant Still and Aaron Copland between the wars: Style and ideology

This is a case study of exact contemporaries William Grant Still and Aaron Copland. They began their careers as musical modernists in New York during the early 1920s. This study focuses on the formulation of their ideas about the ideal style of a modern American music free from European influence. Each developed a personal style that drew upon American vernacular music. They also grappled with the issue of the role of art music in American society. Still, influenced by the Harlem Renaissance, realized many of its goals as he created a personal style that reflected both African-American history and culture, and contemporary New Negro aspirations. His music also sought to improve race relations. Copland was influenced first by the rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic techniques of Stravinsky and the aesthetics of French neoclassicists Darius Milhaud and Francis Poulenc. His turn away from a style derived Stravinsky to embrace British-American folk was influenced by the American Left and its populist ideals.