Aaron Copland’s The Tender Land, known to few today save for college professors and students, has become for the American Culture an influential piece simply for its existence. It represents Copland’s only full-length opera, and was created to bridge media and entertainment by being written for television audiences.
Initially in two acts, Copland and librettist Erik Johns re-worked it to be three acts a year after its debut.[i] The story takes place in the American Midwest circa 1930:
“The isolated world of a rural family turns around the graduation of its elder daughter. Yet, she is unsure of her place in that world. It is invaded by a threat and then an actuality of two outsiders who excite in the girl dreams of a larger life. The boys are accepted into the community as harvesters. At a party on the eve before graduation, one of them falls in love with the girl. Grandpa discovers the match, and the boys are ordered away. The boy and girl plan an elopement at daybreak, but the boy, attacked by fears of responsibility abetted by forebodings of his companion, flees. The girl’s anticipation of fulfillment turns to despair when she finds the boys gone. Her family, who remind her of graduation and the pattern of her life, consoles her. But she realizes that the time has come to break that pattern and assert her own being. Though accepting, the mother does not recognize the woman her daughter has become. And as the girl goes to find her own life, the mother turns to her younger daughter knowing that one responsibility has ended and another has begun.”[ii]
There are many different theories as to why Aaron Copland’s second opera “The Tender Land” was not successful in its debut April 1, 1954 at the New York City Opera.[iii] According to Copland himself, he felt that it was not a success due primarily to the libretto being weak. The librettist, Erik Johns, had never written a libretto previously,[iv] and was inexperienced with the nuances required. Additionally, Copland had meant for the opera to be set for smaller stages, like lyrical theatres and initially the television. Therefore, when it debuted in New York City, it may have had too large of a venue. In an interview on National Public Radio in 1980, Copland stated:
“The Tender Land… is meant to be a proper opera; not for the Met, but for a lyric theatre with more modest pretentions. I can’t say it’s been a wild hit… I don’t think the libretto I used was that fascinating from a theatrical standpoint. The fellow who wrote it [Erik Johns] was a friend of mine and I thought it would be easy to work with him; I could ask him to change things and he wouldn’t be upset… but he wasn’t a real pro. And considering that he wasn’t he got away with quite a lot… The music carried the comparatively simple plot adequately and is meant to make a kind of warm and personal feeling rather than a big dramatic number on the operatic stage.”
Another, more personal reason for the opera’s flop may be linked to the accusations made of Copland in the 50’s regarding his affiliation with the communist party. In 1953, the United States Congress questioned Copland for speaking out in favor of the Communist Party in the 1936 presidential election. This caused a scandal that Copland was not able to shake, though he denied any tie to the party.[v]
The melodic structure of The Tender Land, as well as the relative tonality is suggestive of Copland’s popular orchestral works. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he did not desire to throw out tonality in exchange for the novel musical procedures of the day. Rather, his goal was to be simply “Copland;” individuality endued to him by his teacher Nadia Boulanger.[vi] As with some of his other works, his use of sweeping and soaring soprano lines, lyrical and fluid, is very evident in the more subdued areas (Ex: Act I, rehearsals 1-3) and often accompanied or followed by deep sounds from percussion or bass strings (Ex: Act I, rehearsal 2). These lyrical times are usually followed by robust and swift parts (Ex.: Act II, rehearsals 1-2). Percussion seems especially important to him for many of his orchestral pieces, for the xylophone is used extensively in the “robust periods” of this opera and other pieces of the same time period, principally Appalachian Spring. Like other pieces of his, the use of recycled tunes is also very prevalent
Asymmetrical meter is simply a foregone conclusion. Tonal centers shift constantly while still somehow maintaining the feeling of tonality. The use of triadic chords help sustain this tonality, although, the use of quartal and quintal harmony creates a distinctive dissonance in many areas (ex., Act I, rehearsal 16; Act II, rehearsal 4).
To Copland, music meant a way of life. As such, music changed with the change of the audience while maintaining its core identity. [vii] Copland saw music as having various purposes; a song written for musically trained ears would obviously be different from the music of the laity. He thought that “complex” music and “simple” music were inherently equal.[viii]
Changes in media expansion also made Copland realize the necessity for music to make “revolutionary changes.”[ix] For the first time in history, media allowed for the listening audience to reach millions via radio and television. Copland saw this change early on and wished to be a part of it, lest he become obsolete. He felt that by utilizing mass media, he could enrich more lives with the medium of music and begin to create a world-wide community of music listeners:
“The artist should feel himself affirmed and buoyed up by his community… the life of art must mean something, n the deepest sense, to the everyday citizen.”[x]
Many suggestions arise about the disappointing reception of The Tender Land, by Aaron Copland. The fact that composing a full-length opera was unchartered territory for Copland; the relative weakness of the libretto; even some political intrigue; all may have played a role in the opera’s mediocre welcome. In honesty, no one can really know for sure. What can be known is the impact the opera has had on music to America in the present age. It is one of the few truly American full-length operas; it gave the world an example of Copland’s brilliant composing style; and it attempted to enlarge the audience of the “classical” strain of music by being written for television. In the end, Aaron Copland’s The Tender Land has enriched the life of the American composing realm as well as those simply interested in pleasing music. In this way, Copland was successful in bringing the inherent equality of musical genre to fruition.
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