“El Salón Mexico” marked a turning point for Aaron Copland, who had studied in Paris and previously explored the various trends of the European avant-garde in his music.
Like many artists and intellectuals, Copland became increasingly concerned with the artist’s relationship to society during the Great Depression; he wanted to write music for “the people” that would make use of the many innovations of modern music while still remaining accessible to ordinary listeners. Furthermore, he wanted to write music that was distinctly American.
El Salón México would be among his first and most successful works in this new, populist style. Throughout, Copland orchestrates with pure, crisp colors, and the music is characterized by bold, clear melodic lines.
Here is “El Salon Mexico” by Aaron Copland:
