Composer Aaron Copland, 1962; photo in Public Domain, wikipedia.
National Philharmonic at Strathmore has released a virtual performance of composer Aaron Copland’s classic “Fanfare for the Common Man” that is both heartfelt and a gem among music videos. I found it to be a touching, emotional tribute to hospital workers and common Americans on the frontlines dealing with the coronavirus pandemic crisis. Copland gave his work its name because he was inspired by a speech given in 1942, the year his work was to premiere, by Vice-President Henry Wallace. The speech came to be known as the “Century of the Common Man”. It was given shortly after America’s entrance into WWII. Wallace gave tribute to the common men and women of America, everyday people, who would carry the burden of that great war and be essential to our victory and who he felt should reap the benefits of victory. Earlier, President Roosevelt had presented the nation with his Four Freedoms; one was the Freedom from Fear. We are again in a battle for freedom from fear. Kyle Schick, Director of Artistic Operations, had the idea for a virtual performance of the Fanfare and then realized the relationship to the medical care workers in today’s struggle against the coronavirus pandemic. He pitched his idea for a video to leadership at the National Philharmonic at Strathmore, an orchestra that has served its community for over three decades, and now, like all orchestras today, has lost access to the performance stage.
Henry A. Wallace’s 1942 speech proclaimed the “Century of the Common Man”; photo in Public Domain, source - wikipedia.
Arts performance groups very much want to stay in touch with their audiences and make contributions in these constraining times, yet they are unable to give public performances. Director Schick correctly noted that we all are feeling scared, all experiencing fear and needing uplifting messages, messages of hope and connection, looking to see the good in our society. We can all agree that those on the frontlines dealing directly with individuals who have or might have contracted the disease are putting themselves at risk on our behalf and thereby, exemplify Americans at our best, sacrificing for others. This is also a unique and strange time for musicians who can’t be on stage together. They continue to develop music and art, but any recording done presently must be made at home, by individuals. The NP leadership felt that a virtual performance on video by the National Philharmonic honoring our frontline workers would be welcomed by music fans as an effort to overcome adversity, and that the tribute to common American heroes would be embraced by music fans and appreciated by the frontline workers.
NP video, YouTube: The performers in the video are Peter Gajewski (conducting), Michael Hall (french horn), Chris Gekker (trumpet), David Sciannella (trombone), Willie Clark (tuba), and Tom Maloy (percussion, timpani).
There are many artistic and technological challenges in making a virtual performance. One can find many examples of virtual orchestral performances on YouTube. Most of these use multiple frames highlighting different performers at the same time who are playing in isolation and recording their parts in isolation and later have their audio tracks merged. Getting all the performers together on the same tempo and pitch is an immediate challenge. Director Schick has a background in audio editing and knew he could use a click track (audio files with a metronomic pace added) to enable the performers to play their parts with the correct tempo before mixing. There are also some advantages to this process; Schick knew he could use this technology to be able to present Copland’s fanfare with just five performers with the same performers playing more than one part, simplifying the task. As the tempo for the piece changes, slowing down, using the click track file becomes problematic. To assist the performers in overcoming this challenge, NP Founder and Conductor Piotr Gajewski filmed himself conducting the piece. Schick combined the trumpet/percussion pieces with Gajewski’s video and gave it to the other performers to address both tempo and pitch issues. Each performer recorded their parts in their homes using iPhones. Final mixing was overseen by Schick and Patron Services Manager, Quinton Braswell.
To make NP’s tribute more effective artistically, they decided to employ photographs of hospital workers who are on the frontlines. The photos are outstanding! They were taken by professional photographer Sinna Nasseri, whose work is known for revealing human emotion in his photographs (you can see more examples of his photos in this NYTimes article, which includes some of the photos used by NP), and also friends and donors to NP who shared their work. Director Schick and the NP team have blended these into a highly effective presentation, beautifully coupled to the music, and this unique element greatly enhances the emotional appeal of the performance.
A fanfare is a short, lively, loud piece of music by brass and percussion instruments used to introduce something to come, a musical work or even a person, such as a king. It can also be included as part of a larger work. Copland later used the Common Man Fanfare in the final movement of his Symphony No. 3. However, it was written for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra at the request of conductor Eugene Goossens. Along with Copland’s Billy the Kid ballet and the Grand Canyon Suite, the Fanfare is among his most popular works. Aaron Copland is one of America’s greatest and most influential composers. The National Philharmonic at Strathmore has put together a fine virtual performance that honors both Mr. Copland and the common Americans serving us during the coronavirus pandemic. It also serves as a reminder that Copland wrote the Fanfare to honor the common men and women serving us in WWII. Finally, It is an enjoyable short, piece of music.
If there were a classical music TV network, like MTV for rock, I think the NP video would be on their hits list. Personally, I’d like to see more virtual performances of classical music and opera where the opportunities for creative visual expression are explored; this is certainly being done with lighting and video effects in live stage performances.
The Fan Experience: The video is about four minutes in length. There is a short opening statement of purpose on the screen followed by a quick start to the music. The sound is bold and crystal clear; I recommend doing a sound level check on your device before listening. The orchestra plays at the Music Center at Strathmore, but has not announced their 2020-2021 season as yet. One item of interest I found on their website is that young people ages 7-17 may attend any of their concerts at Strathmore for free, a very good deal for families.