The Tender Land: An Introduction Music by Aaron Copland

Libretto by Horace Everett

The Tender Land is a truly American opera, with music by Aaron Copland, often referred to as “The Dean of American Composers,” and text by Horace Everett. Sung in English, The Tender Land tells the story of a Midwestern farming family and the coming-of-age of their teenage daughter during the 1930s. Copland rooted his compositions in American folk tunes and revival hymns, with melodies that evoke the vastness the American landscape, and harmonies that draw from jazz and popular music.

Written in the 1950s, the story and themes of The Tender Land still remain unmistakably relevant. The characters in this opera experience first love, confront suspicions of outsiders, and struggle to remain true to their roots even as they desire to explore the wider world. This poignant coming-of-age story and its reflection on the cycle of life highlight universal experiences that neither the passing of time nor the advancement of technology have diminished. Don’t miss your chance to see this unique and wholly unforgettable opera.

Synopsis In the American heartland during the Great Depression, teenager Laurie Moss is about to become the first in her family to graduate from high school. Ma Moss and her protective Grandpa are hosting a party to celebrate, and Laurie finds herself questioning her place in the world, wondering what kind of life she could lead if she were to leave the farm.

Two drifters come by looking for work, and despite his suspicions, Grandpa Moss hires them. Laurie, who is both tied to her homeland and aching to leave it, is intrigued by tales of their travels. The dashing smooth-talking Top, full of bluster, immediately eyes Laurie. But it’s the younger, bashful Martin with whom she falls in love.

While Ma and Grandpa Moss are suspicious of the strangers, Laurie is captivated by their vivid tales of travel, and she and Martin quickly fall in love, culminating in a tender kiss at Laurie’s graduation party. Grandpa Moss, furious, banishes the two men, leading Martin and Laurie to make plans to elope. But Martin quickly realizes that this would cause trouble for all involved, and reluctantly sneaks away before daybreak. Heartbroken, Laurie realizes that, though now alone, it is still time for her to go. She bids farewell to the farm, and sets off into the unknown. A weeping Ma Moss turns to her younger daughter, Beth, and the cycle of life continues.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

The Composer: Aaron Copland Aaron Copland was one of the most respected American classical composers of the twentieth century. By incorporating popular forms of American music such as jazz and folk into his compositions, he created pieces that remain both exceptional and innovative. Today, years after his death, Copland’s life and work continue to inspire many of America’s young composers.

By the mid-1930s Copland had become not only one of the most popular composers in the country, but a leader of the community of American classical musicians. He also began composing for the ballet and for films, garnering an Academy Award for best

score (“The Heiress”, 1949). His ballet scores include Agnes DeMille’s Rodeo (1942) and Martha Graham’s Appalachian Spring (1944), for which he won the Pulitzer Prize. As a scholar, he wrote more than sixty articles and essays on music, as well as five books. He traveled the world in an attempt to elevate the status of American music abroad, and to increase its popularity at home. Through these various commitments to music and to his country, Aaron Copland became one of the most important figures in twentieth-century American music. On December 2, 1990, Aaron Copland died in North Tarrytown, New York.

Let Us Now Praise Famous Men: Prelude to an OperaAaron Copland drew inspiration for his opera from a book by James Agee and Walker Evans entitled Let

Us Now Praise Famous Men. A collection of Evan’s photographs and Agee’s text, this book examined the life of the tenant farmer from the perspective of artists. Proposing no economic solutions to the problem of tenant farming, they attempted only to describe the life of the families they photographed as accurately as possible.

It wasn’t until after Agee’s death in 1955 that Let Us

Now Praise Famous Men became a classic, not only due to Agee’s narrative, but also because of Evans’ haunting black-and-white photographs that appear uncaptioned at the beginning of the book.

To receive the full study guide for Michigan Opera Theatre’s The Tender Land, e-mail Andrea Scobie at ascobie@motopera.org