List of compositions by Aaron Copland

Aaron Copland in 1962

This is a list of compositions by Aaron Copland (1900-1990) in chronological order of composition:

Before 1920

• Night for voice (1918)
• A Summer Vacation for voice (1918)
• My Heart is in the East for voice (1918)
• Three Sonnets for piano (1919)
• My Head is in the West for voice (1919)

1920–1929

• Old Poem for voice (1920)
• The Cat and the Mouse for piano (1920)
• Pastorale for voice (1921)
• Honkytonk Blues (1921)
• Three Moods for piano (1921)
• Four Motets for mixed voices (1921)
  • Help us, O God
  • Sing ye Praises to our King
  • Have Mercy on us, O My Lord
  • Thou, O Jehovah, Abideth Forever
• Sonata in G Major for piano (1921)
• Petit Portrait for piano (1921)
• Alone for voice (1922)
• Passacaglia for piano (1922)
• Cortege Macabre for orchestra (1923)
• As It Fell Upon a Day for voice, flute, and clarinet (1923)
• Movement for String Quartet (1924)
• Symphony for organ and orchestra (1924)
• Grohg; ballet (1925, revised 1932)
• Dance Symphony for orchestra (1925)
• Music for the Theatre for orchestra (1925)
• Two Choruses ("The House on the Hill," "An Immortality") for chorus (1925)
• Piano Concerto for piano and orchestra (1926)
• Two Pieces for violin and piano (1926)
• Sentimental Melody for piano (1926)
• Four Piano Blues for piano (1926–48)
• Poet's Song for voice and piano (1927)
• Vocalise No.1 for voice (1928)
• Symphony No.1 for orchestra (1928)
• Two Pieces for String Quartet (1928)
• Two Pieces for String Orchestra (1928)
• Symphonic Ode for orchestra (1929, revised in 1955)
• Vitebsk: Study on a Jewish Theme for violin, violoncello, and piano (1929)

1930–1939

• Piano Variations (1930)
• Miracle at Verdun (1931)
• Elegies for violin and viola (1932)
• Short Symphony for orchestra (1933)
• Hear Ye! Hear Ye! ballet for orchestra (1934)
• Statements for orchestra (1934)
• Into the Streets May First for chorus (1934)
• What Do We Plant? for chorus (1935)
• Sunday Afternoon Music for piano (1935)
• The Young Pioneers for piano (1935)
• El Salón México for orchestra (1936)
• What McCarthy Sowed for chorus, orchestra, and tape (1937)
• Sextet for clarinet, two violins, viola, violoncello, and piano (1937)
• The Second Hurricane; high school opera (1937)
• Prairie Journal, originally called Music for Radio for orchestra (1937)
• Waltz and Celebration for concert band (1938)
• Billy the Kid; ballet (1938)
• An Outdoor Overture for orchestra (1938)
• Lark for chorus (1938)
• The City; film score (1939)
• Of Mice and Men; film score (1939)
• From Sorcery to Science; incidental music for puppet play (1939)

1940–1949

• Quiet City for trumpet, cor anglais, and string orchestra (1940)
• Our Town; film score (1940)
• John Henry for orchestra (1940, revised in 1952)
• Piano Sonata for piano (1941)
• Episode for organ (1941)
• Arrangement of An Outdoor Overture for concert band (1941)
• Lincoln Portrait for narrator and orchestra (1942)
• Arrangement of Lincoln Portrait for concert band (1942)
• Rodeo; ballet (1942)
• Fanfare for the Common Man for brass and percussion (1942)
• Las Agachadas for chorus (1942)
• Music for the Movies for orchestra (1942)
• Danzón Cubano for two pianos (1942)
• Song of the Guerillas for orchestra (1943)
• Sonata for Violin (or Clarinet) and Piano (1943)
• North Star; soundtrack (1943)
• Arrangement of Danzón Cubano for orchestra (1944)
• Appalachian Spring; ballet (1944)
• Arrangement of Appalachian Spring for orchestra (1944)
• Letter from Home for orchestra (1944, revised in 1962)
• Midday Thoughts for piano (1944/82)
• Jubilee Variations for orchestra (1945)
• The Cummington Story; film score (1945)
• Symphony No. 3 for orchestra (1946)
• In the Beginning for mezzo-soprano and chorus (1947)
• Midsummer Nocturne for piano (1947/77)
• The Red Pony; film score (1948)
• Clarinet Concerto for clarinet and string orchestra with harp (1948)
• The Heiress; soundtrack (1948)
• Preamble for a Solemn Occasion for orchestra (1949)

1950–1959

• Quartet for violin, viola, violoncello, and piano (1950)
• Twelve Poems by Emily Dickinson for medium voice and piano (1950)
  1. Nature, the gentlest mother
  2. There came a wind like a bugle
  3. Why do they shut me out of Heaven
  4. The world feels dusty
  5. Heart, we will forget him
  6. Dear March, come in!
  7. Sleep is supposed to be
  8. When they come back
  9. I felt a funeral in my brain
  10. I've heard an organ talk sometimes
  11. Going to Heaven!
  12. The Chariot.
• Old American Songs No.1 for voice and piano (1950)
  1. The Boatmen's Dance (minstrel song from 1843)
  2. The Dodger (campaign song)
  3. Long Time Ago (ballad)
  4. Simple Gifts (Shaker song)
  5. I Bought Me a Cat (children's song)
• Old American Songs No.2 for voice and piano (1952)
  1. The Little Horses (lullaby)
  2. Zion’s Walls (revivalist song)
  3. The Golden Willow Tree (Anglo-American ballad)
  4. At the River (hymn tune)
  5. Ching-A-Ring Chaw (minstrel song)
• The Little Horses for voice and piano (1952)
• Arrangement of Preamble for a Solemn Occasion for organ (1953)
• Dirge in the Woods for voice and piano (1954)
• The Tender Land; opera (1954)
• Canticle of Freedom for chorus and orchestra (1955)
• Variations on a Shaker Melody for concert band (1956)
• Fantasy for piano (1955-7)
• Arrangement of Piano Variations for orchestra (1957)
• Arrangement of The Tender Land for orchestra (1957)
• The World of Nick Adams; soundtrack (1957)
• Dance Panels for orchestra (1959, revised in 1962)

1960–1969

• Nonet for 3 violins, 3 violas, and 3 cellos (1960)
• Something Wild; soundtrack (1960)
• Connotations for orchestra (1961-2)
• Down a Country Lane for piano (1962)
• Danza de Jalisco (in Latin American Sketches) for two pianos (1963)
• Arrangement of Down a Country Lane for orchestra (1964)
• Emblems for concert band (1964)
• Music for a Great City for orchestra (1964)
• In Evening Air for piano (1966)
• Signature: C B S Playhouse [TV theme] for orchestra (1966)
• Inscape for orchestra (1967)
• Arrangement of Variations on a Shaker Melody for orchestra (1967)
• Inaugural Fanfare for orchestra (1969)
• Happy Anniversary for orchestra (1969)

1970–1990

• Duo for flute and piano (1970–71)
• Threnody No.1: In Memoriam Igor Stravinsky for flute, violin, viola, and cello (1971)
• Three Latin American Sketches for orchestra (1972)
• Night Thoughts: Homage to Ives for piano (1972)
• Threnody No.2: In Memoriam Beatrice Cunningham for flute, violin, viola, and cello (1973)
• Midday Thoughts for piano (1944/82)
• Proclamation for piano (1973/82)
• Proclamation for orchestra (orchestrated 1985 by Phillip Ramey)