Sight and Sound: Leon Botstein and The Orchestra Now by Copland, Dom 03 Noll 2023, Ó (2023/2023), Seoltóir Leon Botstein, Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium, New York City, United States

The 1930s were a time of political and social turmoil in the United States. Through the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, art and music anchored the struggling nation’s search for identity and hope, depicting and publicizing the struggle of the era’s marginalized masses. Aaron Copland mixed everyday Americana tunes with classical music in an unprecedented way—his austere orchestral Statements and Wild-West ballet Billy the Kid both quote popular folk music of the day, earning him a reputation as the United States’s “populist” composer.