The Whole as a Result of Its Parts: Assembly in Aaron Copland's Score for The Red Pony

189 Pages·2003·3.12 MB·English

THE WHOLE AS A RESULT OF ITS PARTS: ASSEMBLY IN

AARON COPLAND’S SCORE FOR THE RED PONY

William Lawrence McGinney, B.M.

Thesis Prepared for the Degree of

MASTER OF MUSIC

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS

May 2003

APPROVED:

John Michael Cooper, Major Professor
Bernardo Illari, Committee Member
Mark McKnight, Committee Member
Margaret Notley, M.M. Committee Chair
Lester Brothers, Chair, Division of Music History, Theory,
and Ethnomusicology
Hildegard Froehlich, Acting Director, Graduate Studies
College of Music
James C. Scott, Dean, College of Music
C. Neal Tate, Dean, Robert B. Toulouse School of
Graduate Studies
McGinney, William Lawrence, The Whole as a Result of Its Parts: Assembly in Aaron
Copland’s Score for The Red Pony, Master of Music (Musicology), May 2003, 178 pp., 60
musical examples, 24 figures, 3 facsimiles, references, 28 titles.
Aaron Copland’s music for The Red Pony (1948-49), based on John Steinbeck’s story
collection, is probably the best known of his film scores. The effectiveness of The Red Pony
score stems from Copland’s belief that film music should be subordinate to the film it
accompanies. Copland composed The Red Pony score using his self-described method of
“assembly,” augmenting this process with devices to synchronize the music with the picture.
Examination of archival sources shows how the score reflects the acknowledged influence of
Igor Stravinsky, the needs of the film medium, and the plot of The Red Pony specifically.
Despite Copland’s modern style characteristics, the music functions much like a conventional
Hollywood film score.
Copyright 2003

By

William Lawrence McGinney

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ACKNOWLEGEMENTS

The author wishes to acknowledge the following individuals for their assistance in the
production of this study: Mr. James Kendrick and the Aaron Copland Fund for Music for their
generous permission allowing me to examine the Copland materials and to reproduce the
included score examples; Elizabeth H. Auman of the Library of Congress, Music Division, for
all of her enthusiastic assistance and cooperation; Dr. Michael Cooper, my major professor, for
his guidance during the course of this undertaking; Drs. Bernardo Illari and Mark McKnight,
members of my thesis committee, for their helpful comments and insights; and Dr. Margaret
Notley, chair of the departmental thesis committee, for all of her encouragement. I would also
like to extend my deepest thanks to my parents for their support, and to my wife, Stacey, for her
understanding, patience, and love.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

LIST OF FIGURES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viiI

LIST OF FACSIMILES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Chapter

I. GENESIS AND STORY OF THE RED PONY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

II. SOURCES FOR THE SCORE OF THE RED PONY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

III. A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE CUES PRESENT IN
THE FIRST HALF OF THE RED PONY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

IV. A CLOSE EXAMINATION OF THE CUES PRESENT IN
THE SECOND HALF OF THE RED PONY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92

V. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE MUSIC AND
THE NARRATIVE IN THE RED PONY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132

VI. REASSEMBLY OF THE RED PONY FOR THE CONCERT STAGE . . . . . . . . . 158

APPENDIX: A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE STEPS IN SCORING
A MOTION PICTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172

REFERENCE LIST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176

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LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES
All musical examples reproduced with permission by the
Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc., copyright holder.

Example Page

3-1. Recurring Themes in The Red Pony. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

3-2. M100 “Prelude and Main Title” mm. 1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

3-3. M100 “Prelude and Main Title” mm. 6-18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
3-4. M100 “Prelude and Main Title” mm. 26-37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
3-5. M100 “Prelude and Main Title” mm. 51-59 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
3-6. Melodic Fragments in “Morning on the Ranch” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
3-7. M101 “Morning on the Ranch” mm. 1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
3-8. M102 “Walk to the Bunkhouse, Pt I” mm. 1-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
3-9. M102A “Walk to the Bunkhouse, Pt II” mm. 17-32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
3-10. M102 “Walk to the Bunkhouse, Pt I” mm 21-23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
3-11. M201 “March Dream, Pt I” mm. 1-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
3-12. M201A “March Dream, Pt II” mm. 1-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
3-13. M201A “March Dream, Pt II” mm. 41-46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
3-14. M201A “March Dream, Pt II” mm. 69-76 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
3-15. M202 “Intro to Circus Dream” mm 6-17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
3-16. M300 “Circus Music, Pt I” mm. 25-33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
3-17. M300 “Circus Music, Pt I” mm. 40-48, with overlap
to M301A “Circus Music, Pt V” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
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Example

3-18. M300A “Circus Music, Pt II” mm. 1-18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
3-19. M300B “Circus Music, Pt III” mm. 1-42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
3-20. M302 “The Boring Dinner” mm. 1-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
3-21. M302 “The Boring Dinner” mm. 23-32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
3-22. M400 “The Gift” mm. 1-40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
3-23. M400 “The Gift” mm. 55-62 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
3-24. M400 “The Gift” mm. 67-77 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
3-25. M400 “The Gift” mm. 82-85 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
3-26. M401 “Tom’s Friends” mm. 1-17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
3-27. M401 “Tom’s Friends” mm. 47-51. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
3-28. M401 “Tom’s Friends” mm. 57-68 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
3-29. M401 “Tom’s Friends” mm. 83-94 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
3-30. M500 “Grandfather’s Story” mm. 1-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
3-31. M500 “Grandfather’s Story” mm. 30-43 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
3-32. M603 “Morning Training” mm. 1-9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
3-33. M603 “Morning Training” mm. 19-24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
3-34. M603 “Morning Training” mm. 27-41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
3-35. M603 “Morning Training” mm. 42-48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
3-36. M603 “Morning Training” mm. 49-57 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
3-37. M700 “Prelude to Tom’s Indecision” mm. 1-11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
3-38. M701 “Tom’s Indecision” mm. 1-24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
3-39. M701 “Tom’s Indecision” mm. 28-38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
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Example
3-40. M701 “Tom’s Indecision” mm. 46-50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
3-41. M701 “Tom’s Indecision” mm. 54-77 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
4-1. M702 “The Sick Pony” mm. 1-9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
4-2. M702 “The Sick Pony” mm. 11-27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
4-3. M800 “The Sick Pony” mm. 1-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
4-4. M801 “At the Fireside” mm. 1-18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100
4-5. M802 “Strangles, Pt I” mm. 1-24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
4-6. M802 “Strangles, Pt I” mm. 36-43 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
4-7. M900 “Strangles, Pt II” mm. 1-19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
4-8. M901 “The Operation, Pt I” mm. 1-9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
4-9. M901 “The Operation, Pt I” mm. 14-22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
4-10. M901 “The Operation, Pt I” mm. 23-43 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
4-11. M901A “The Operation, Pt II” mm. 1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
4-12. Cell Types in “Buzzard Fight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
4-13. M1001 “Buzzard Fight, Pt I” mm. 40-51 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
4-14. M1001A “Buzzard Fight, Pt II” mm. 46-48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
4-15. M1001B “Buzzard Fight, Pt III” mm. 1-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
4-16. M1100 “Tom Readjusted, Pt II” mm. 1-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
4-17. M1101 “The Promise” mm. 4-20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123
4-18. M1102 “End Title” mm. 1-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
4-19. M1102 “End Title” mm. 21-55 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Page

3-1. “Prelude and Main Title” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
3-2. “Morning on the Ranch” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
3-3. “Walk to the Bunkhouse” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
3-4. “March Dream, Part II” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
3-5. “Circus Music” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
3-6. “The Boring Dinner” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
3-7. “The Gift” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
3-8. “Tom’s Friends” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
3-9. “Grandfather’s Story” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
3-10. “Morning Training” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
3-11. “Prelude to Tom’s Indecision/ Tom’s Indecision” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
4-1. “The Sick Pony” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
4-2. “At the Fireside” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
4-3. “Strangles” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
4-4. “The Operation” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
4-5. “Buzzard Fight, Part I” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
4-6. “Pattern Planes in Part II of ‘Buzzard Fight’” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
4-7. “Cell Planes in Part II of ‘Buzzard Fight’” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
4-8. “Buzzard Fight, Part III” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
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Figure
4-9. “Tom Readjusted” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
4-10. “The Promise” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
4-11. “End Title” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
5-1. Comparative Consonance in Successive Cues of The Red Pony. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135
5-2. Strata of Recurring Themes in The Red Pony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154

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