ause they fall on accent beats. The result is a music of powerful rhythmic thrust and vigorous physical activity, bursting with energy and excitement as it mounts to afortissimo climax." Copland's style brings about vivid pictures of colorful images of cowboy's on horseback riding into town. The ensuing brawl is animated colorfully by the volume and intensity of the music. The point at which Billy kills his mother's murderers is so beautifully depicted one can see Billy raising the knife and slaying the guilty men. Listening to the music alone, one can envision the entire ballet from its picturesque beginning to the awe-inspiring conclusion. Copland once described a great symphony as "a man-made Mississippi down which we irresistibly flow from the instant of our leave-taking to a long foreseen destination." Though thismay be true, Copland's "Billy the Kid" may also be described in this fashion. The beginning captivates the audience and holds their focus all the way to the spectacular finale. For those who know the story, the music alonewill bring Geruso 5 about auditory pleasure; for those who do not know the story, the story along with the entrancing music will undoubtedly arouse enjoyment. Copland's works have effected music in many ways, as is evidenced by his numerous awards. These awards include the New York Music Critics Circle Award, a Pulitzer Prize, an Academy Award, a Congressional Medal for patriotism, the Boston Symphony Award of Merit, and his Third Symphony "was singled out by the Music Critics Circle as the most important new orchestralwork by an American composer." His greatness can also be seen in the way others talk about his work. In 1946, Dr. Serge Koussevitzky described Copland's Third Symphony as "the greatest American symphony-it goes from theheart to the heart." The fact that his contemporaries thought so highly of him shows, in effect, that he was one of the greatest composers of his time.The fact that his conte...
