Aaron Copland - Rodeo (complete ballet)

Aaron Copland (1900 - 1990) - Rodeo (1942)

I. Buckaroo Holiday [0:00]
II. Corral Nocturne [8:11]
III. Ranch House Party [12:00]
IV. Saturday Night Waltz [15:35]
V. Hoe Down [21:04]

Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehta (2011)

"Rodeo is a ballet composed by Aaron Copland and choreographed by Agnes de Mille, which premiered in 1942. Subtitled 'The Courting at Burnt Ranch', the ballet consists of five sections: 'Buckaroo Holiday', 'Corral Nocturne', 'Ranch House Party,' 'Saturday Night Waltz', and 'Hoe-Down'.

The original ballet was choreographed by Agnes de Mille for the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo, a dance company that moved to the United States during World War II. In order to compete with the rival company Ballet Theatre, the Ballet Russe commissioned de Mille out of a career of relative obscurity. The choreographer was given considerable creative control, choosing Aaron Copland as the composer after being impressed by his previous ballet, Billy the Kid.

Buckaroo Holiday
Rodeo opens with a grand fanfare, vamping until R5-6, where the woodwinds introduce the Cowgirl's theme. This quiet theme continues until the Rodeo theme begins presenting a highly rhythmic motif that evokes the trotting of horses. The lone Cowgirl seeks the affections of the Head Wrangler, who is rather taken with the more feminine Rancher's Daughter. The cowboys enter to the railroad tune of ‘Sis Joe’, envisioned by de Mille as an event ‘like thunder,’ which Copland obliges with heavy drums and brass. As the cowgirl seeks the attention of her quarry, she mimics the surrounding cowboys, reflected in the heavy use of the tune ‘If He’d Be a Buckaroo’ in this section. The theme is repeated by various solo instruments before being realized in triple canon by the full orchestra. After a brief return to the quiet Cowgirl theme, the fanfare returns. ‘Sis Joe’ reappears again, before the entire orchestra triumphantly plays ‘If He'd be a Buckaroo’.

Corral Nocturne
The ‘Corral Nocturne’ invokes the lovesick musings of the Cowgirl, portrayed rather lyrically by Copland's heavy use of oboe and bassoon. In writing this scene, de Mille noted that ‘She run[s] through the empty corrals intoxicated with space, her feet thudding in the stillness.’ The Head Wrangler discovers her in the darkness, but she does not come toward him as the Rancher's Daughter would. Confused, he exits with the Rancher's Daughter.

Ranch House Party
The subsequent ‘Ranch House Party’ was envisioned by de Mille as ‘Dance music inside. Night music outside.’ Indeed, the section opens with a honky-tonk theme played on a piano, accompanied by a more thoughtful clarinet. The Cowgirl finds herself between the Champion Roper and the Wrangler, who are attracted to the Rancher's Daughter. ‘Corral Nocturne’ is recalled at the end of this section, as the Cowgirl finds herself quite alone.

Saturday Night Waltz
While the ‘Texas minuet’ of the ‘Saturday Night Waltz’ plays de Mille’s transcribed version of ‘I Ride an Old Paint’ (also known as ‘Houlihan’) the cowboys and their girls pair off. Expectant of a partner and finding none, the Cowgirl is alone until the Champion Roper approaches her, having failed to best the Wrangler in winning the affections of the Rancher's Daughter. Both this section and the ‘Corral Nocturne’ feature Copland's characteristic economy of sound, where he uses solo instruments in lieu of entire sections.

Hoe-Down
Finally, the ‘Hoe-Down’ opens by vamping the first bar of William H. Stepp's interpretation of the folk tune ‘Bonaparte’s Retreat’, which will become a major theme of the section. After a reprisal of the Rodeo theme, the theme proper begins in the strings, as the horns play a simple counterpoint. Instead of building to a climax, this section segues into ‘Miss McLeod's Reel’, performed by various solo instruments. Copland briefly introduces the Irish theme ‘Gilderoy’ in the clarinet and oboe. Building toward the end, Copland reintroduces ‘Bonaparte's Retreat’ in canon, before returning to the Rodeo theme, which slows into the climactic kiss between the Cowgirl and the Roper. ‘Bonaparte's Retreat’ is then resumed by the full orchestra, which ends the piece with a grand fanfare."

(source: Wikipedia)

Original audio:    • Aaron Copland - Rodeo - Zubin Mehta -...