This musical documentary profiles one of the most intriguing of all 20th Century composers: Aaron Copland (1900-90), best known for his Fanfare for the Common Man. Drawing on such elements as performance extracts of Copland pieces and rarely-seen archival footage, the film illustrates how a New York native of Jewish-Russian extraction defined, honed and shaped a new American musical idiom. Highlights include a clip of Benny Goodman playing Copland's Clarinet Concerto, footage of Martha Graham performing in the ballet +Appalachian Spring, and various insights from Howard Pollack, one of Copland's biographers.
