Other meanings of Appalachian Spring
Music & Dance
Appalachian Spring is a 1944 ballet by Martha Graham with music by Aaron Copland, commissioned by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge and premiered at the Library of Congress on October 30, 1944. The score, originally for 13 instruments, won the 1945 Pulitzer Prize for Music and was later arranged as a popular orchestral suite. The ballet depicts a pioneer wedding celebration in early 19th-century Pennsylvania, blending American folk idioms with modernist techniques.
The ballet originated from a commission by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, a prominent patron of chamber music, who initially requested a score for a small ensemble. Copland, then at the height of his populist period, drew on American folk tunes, including the Shaker hymn "Simple Gifts," which appears in a set of variations near the end. The premiere took place at the Coolidge Auditorium of the Library of Congress, with Graham dancing the lead role of the Bride, Merce Cunningham as the Revivalist, and Erick Hawkins as the Husbandman. The original title was "Ballet for Martha," but Graham suggested "Appalachian Spring" from a Hart Crane poem, though the poem itself does not describe the ballet's narrative.
The original score is scored for flute, clarinet, bassoon, piano, and string quartet, reflecting Coolidge's chamber music focus. Copland later arranged a full-orchestra suite in 1945, which became one of his most performed works, though the suite omits some sections and reorders others. The music is notable for its use of dissonant harmonies juxtaposed with folk-like melodies, and the "Simple Gifts" variations build from a quiet statement to a triumphant climax, symbolizing the couple's optimism. The Pulitzer Prize citation recognized the score's "chamber music" form, though the orchestral version is more widely known today.
Graham's choreography is abstract yet narrative, focusing on the emotional states of the characters rather than literal storytelling. The central couple—the Bride and the Husbandman—express their hopes and fears through angular, grounded movements, while the Revivalist and his followers represent religious fervor. The set design by Isamu Noguchi used a simple wooden bench and a rocking chair, evoking a frontier home. The ballet's themes of community, faith, and new beginnings resonated with wartime audiences, and it remains a staple of American dance repertory, often performed by companies such as the Martha Graham Dance Company.
One lesser-known fact is that the original title "Ballet for Martha" was changed only days before the premiere, and Graham's inspiration from Hart Crane's poem "The Bridge" is often misattributed. Another is that Copland reused the "Simple Gifts" tune in his later orchestral work "Old American Songs," but the ballet's version is distinct. The original chamber version was not published until 1954, and the orchestral suite was premiered by the New York Philharmonic under Artur Rodzinski in 1945. Additionally, the ballet's premiere was part of a double bill with another Coolidge commission, and the Library of Congress holds the original manuscript, which was inscribed with a dedication to Coolidge.
The ballet's title was suggested by Graham, but the poem by Hart Crane does not directly relate to the plot.
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