Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 4.01 Music
Presentation #1 Title
George Crumb’s Appalachia: Autobiography and American History in the American Songbooks
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Summary I argue that George Crumb’s American Songbooks project his childhood in Charleston, WV onto an interpretation of Appalachia at large, and then use this idea of a culturally and musically diverse Appalachia as a microcosm to express a vision of American history and the meaning of America itself. Abstract Born in Charleston, West Virginia, eminent classical composer George Crumb (b. 1929) has recently attracted attention for a remarkable group of seven song cycles called American Songbooks (2003–2010). Begun as a setting of folk songs from Appalachia, the project grew into the largest of Crumb’s musical projects, including arrangements of some sixty hymns, spirituals, folk songs, and popular tunes. In this paper, I argue that Crumb’s American Songbooks projects his childhood in Charleston onto an interpretation of Appalachia at large, and then uses this idea of a culturally diverse Appalachia as a microcosm to express a vision of the history and meaning of America itself. I begin by reviewing elements of Appalachian culture in Crumb’s pre-Songbook works, such as his use of the Appalachian dulcimer, banjo, and mandolin, and his quotation of his home state motto, “Mountaineers are always free.” These elements show Crumb’s long-standing ties to Appalachia. I then demonstrate how Crumb links his American Songbooks to the lineage of Bach, Chopin, and Bartók, on the one hand, and to the American standards of Stephen Foster, protest songs, and Broadway, on the other. Finally, with biographical and musical evidence, I show that Crumb’s autobiographical portrait of Appalachia extends to the entire series of songbooks, whose inclusion of Jewish instruments, African-American spirituals, American Indian chant, Anglo revival tunes, and percussion instruments from all over the world insists on a diversity of voices in defining the sound of America, a sound that is centered on Appalachia.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Robert Fallon is assistant professor of musicology at Carnegie Mellon University. With Christopher Dingle he co-edited the two-volume set Messiaen Perspectives (Ashgate, 2013). He has published widely on the music and thought of Olivier Messiaen and is currently writing a book about the idea of Appalachia in American classical music since 1940. He holds degrees from Northwestern University and the University of California, Berkeley.
George Crumb’s Appalachia: Autobiography and American History in the American Songbooks
Summary I argue that George Crumb’s American Songbooks project his childhood in Charleston, WV onto an interpretation of Appalachia at large, and then use this idea of a culturally and musically diverse Appalachia as a microcosm to express a vision of American history and the meaning of America itself. Abstract Born in Charleston, West Virginia, eminent classical composer George Crumb (b. 1929) has recently attracted attention for a remarkable group of seven song cycles called American Songbooks (2003–2010). Begun as a setting of folk songs from Appalachia, the project grew into the largest of Crumb’s musical projects, including arrangements of some sixty hymns, spirituals, folk songs, and popular tunes. In this paper, I argue that Crumb’s American Songbooks projects his childhood in Charleston onto an interpretation of Appalachia at large, and then uses this idea of a culturally diverse Appalachia as a microcosm to express a vision of the history and meaning of America itself. I begin by reviewing elements of Appalachian culture in Crumb’s pre-Songbook works, such as his use of the Appalachian dulcimer, banjo, and mandolin, and his quotation of his home state motto, “Mountaineers are always free.” These elements show Crumb’s long-standing ties to Appalachia. I then demonstrate how Crumb links his American Songbooks to the lineage of Bach, Chopin, and Bartók, on the one hand, and to the American standards of Stephen Foster, protest songs, and Broadway, on the other. Finally, with biographical and musical evidence, I show that Crumb’s autobiographical portrait of Appalachia extends to the entire series of songbooks, whose inclusion of Jewish instruments, African-American spirituals, American Indian chant, Anglo revival tunes, and percussion instruments from all over the world insists on a diversity of voices in defining the sound of America, a sound that is centered on Appalachia.
