On Christmas Day of that same year, Copland wrote in his diary: does one “How deepen one’s experience of life. That is a problem that interests me deeply. Would serving as dish washer for a week help—or doing a term in prison?” (Ross 293). Copland’s question may have been answered in his involvement in leftist politics. During the early and mid-1930s, America was struggling through the Great Depression, bringing Populism as a progressive movement into politics (Ross 294-295). Modern composers were told to purely instrumental music for more “abandon “useful” forms—workers’ songs, workers’ choruses, [and] social critical theater pieces” (Ross 296). Composing instrumental music” (Ross 296) was known as formalism. “purely Formalism was then made into a sin by the government, and composers were given the duty of creating music that was not simply a source of luxury but a tool that fulfilled the new social function (Ross 295-296). Austrian composer Hanns Eisler was the epitome of the revolutionary composer that the government sought after. He visited New York in 1935, lecturing on the idea that composers of formalism and the capitalist system must break out of their and compose for the masses (Ross 295-296). Local composers, “prison” including Copland, were affected and influenced by his words. During this time, Copland incorporated political themes influenced by the communist party into several works (Ross 297-298). Although there is no evidence that Copland joined the Party, he was clearly drawn to communism (Crist, Music for the 19). Copland tried to combine social critique with mass appeal in his Common Man compositions to satisfy the worker and the musician” (Crist, Copland and “both “Aaron the Popular Front” 409). His 1934 ballet, distorted the national Hear Ye! Hear Ye!, anthem to convey the corruption of the government and the law (Ross 298). Copland’s
On Christmas Day of that same year, Copland wrote in his diary: “How does one deepen one’s experience of life. That is a problem that interests me deeply. Would serving as dish washer for a week help—or doing a term in prison?” (Ross 293). Copland’s question may have been answered in his involvement in leftist politics. During the early and mid-1930s, America was struggling through the Great Depression, bringing Populism as a progressive movement into politics (Ross 294-295). Modern composers were told to “abandon purely instrumental music for more “useful” forms—workers’ songs, workers’ choruses, [and] social critical theater pieces” (Ross 296). Composing “purely instrumental music” (Ross 296) was known as formalism. Formalism was then made into a sin by the government, and composers were given the duty of creating music that was not simply a source of luxury but a tool that fulfilled the new social function (Ross 295-296). Austrian composer Hanns Eisler was the epitome of the revolutionary composer that the government sought after. He visited New York in 1935, lecturing on the idea that composers of formalism and the capitalist system must break out of their “prison” and compose for the masses (Ross 295-296). Local composers, including Copland, were affected and influenced by his words. During this time, Copland incorporated political themes influenced by the communist party into several works (Ross 297-298). Although there is no evidence that Copland joined the Party, he was clearly drawn to communism (Crist, Music for the Common Man 19). Copland tried to combine social critique with mass appeal in his compositions to satisfy “both the worker and the musician” (Crist, “Aaron Copland and the Popular Front” 409). His 1934 ballet, Hear Ye! Hear Ye!, distorted the national anthem to convey the corruption of the government and the law (Ross 298). Copland’s