Fanfare for the Common Man
Listening Guide
Performed by the New York Philharmonic, conducted by David Robertson in January 2021
Composer: Aaron Copland
Composition: Fanfare for the Common Man
Date: 1942
Genre: Fanfare
Performing Forces: brass and percussion sections of symphony orchestra
What we want you to remember about this composition:
Timing
Performing Forces, Melody, and Texture
Opening crash heralds introduction by bass drum and timpani that slowly dies down.
Slow and deliberate.
Slow fanfare theme enters.
The melody itself is comprised of many perfect 4ths and perfect 5th intervals which convey a sense of openness.
Unison trumpets.
Slow tempo.
No harmonic accompaniment creates a sense of starkness.
After brief notes from the percussion section, French horns enter, moving a perfect 5th below the trumpets.
Trumpets and French horns, with periodic hits from the percussionBuilt primarily on perfect 4ths and 5ths.
Repeat of material from the introduction.
Percussion.
Low brass enters with the main theme and is imitated by the horns and trumpets.
Full brass and percussion.
Melody is restated at ½ speed (augmentation) and ends on climactic chord.
Full brass and percussion.