Appalachian Spring: Music From The Mountains

American classical music composers didn’t always view the nation’s various, vibrant folk music traditions as a valid source of inspiration—but once someone realized there’s not so much that separates a violin from a fiddle, this nation’s concert music tradition was permanently enriched. Aaron Copland used an earnest Shaker song, “Simple Gifts,” as the basis of his elegant score for the Martha Graham ballet Appalachian Spring—one of several Coplan...