Samenvatting

This research project aims to map out the core elements of Marc Copland’s harmonic expression on the album Night Whispers and from where they hail. Furthermore, it explores how to incorporate these elements into one’s own music in a creative way, steering away from the original application in an acoustic piano trio towards keyboard sounds and ensemble writing. To achieve these goals, a detailed analysis of sources ranging from
recordings of Copland and the jazz piano masters to interviews with Copland and his contemporaries is employed. Additionally, a closer look at the theoretical background provides an understanding of the make-up of Copland’s concepts.

For the background analysis, an exploratory research design is employed, as scholarly material on Copland is rare. The creative process of this research, formed through various interrelated aspects, can be characterized by the iterative cyclic web described by Smith and Dean.

The notion of improvised linear movement playing an overarching role in Copland’s music is a recurring theme in the research. However, isolating and recombining more concrete harmonic events can lead to an idiomatic representation of Copland’s sound.

With careful usage, the harmonic elements found can be reapplied to many contexts and prove to be a springboard from which to launch new creative expression.

Using just one of these elements as the nucleus for a new composition can spark inspiration and lead to new, creative pathways that carry the personalized sound of the individual composer in the forefront.