Editing Appalachian Spring (section)

{{Short description|1944 ballet by Martha Graham and Aaron Copland}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox ballet
| name           = Appalachian Spring
| italic title   = yes
| image          = Martha Graham, seated, c. 1940 (cropped).jpg
| alt            = Graham sitting in a chair and gesturing upwards, wearing a heavy black overcoat
| caption        = [[Martha Graham]], {{circa|1940}}
| choreographer  = Martha Graham
| composer       = [[Aaron Copland]]
| premiere       = {{Start date|1944|10|30}}
| place          = [[Coolidge Auditorium]]
| ballet_company = [[Martha Graham Dance Company]]
| characters     = {{plainlist|
*The Bride
*The Husbandman
*The Pioneer Woman
*The Revivalist
}}
| designer       = {{plainlist|
*Sets by [[Isamu Noguchi]]
*Costumes by Edythe Gilfond
}}
| setting        = 19th-century [[Pennsylvania]]
| created_for    = {{plainlist|
*Martha Graham
*[[Erick Hawkins]]
*[[May O'Donnell]]
*[[Merce Cunningham]]
}}
| genre          = [[Modern dance]]
}}

'''''Appalachian Spring''''' is an American [[ballet]] created by the choreographer [[Martha Graham]] and the composer [[Aaron Copland]], later arranged as an [[orchestral work]]. Commissioned by [[Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge]], Copland composed the ballet music for Graham; the original choreography was by Graham, with costumes by Edythe Gilfond and sets by [[Isamu Noguchi]]. The ballet was well received at the 1944 premiere, earning Copland the [[Pulitzer Prize for Music]] during its 1945 United States tour. The orchestral [[Suite (music)|suite]] composed in 1945 was played that year by many symphony orchestras; the suite is among Copland's best-known works, and the ballet remains essential in the [[Martha Graham Dance Company]] repertoire.

Graham was known for creating the "[[Graham technique]]" of dance; in the 1930s, she began commissioning scores from various composers, often related to [[American history]] and [[Culture of the United States|culture]]. Around the same time, Copland incorporated relatable and accessible musical characteristics of the [[Americana (music)|Americana]] style to increase his music's appeal to the general public; he first implemented this in earlier ballets like ''[[Billy the Kid (ballet)|Billy the Kid]]'' and ''[[Rodeo (ballet)|Rodeo]]''. The initial scenario for ''Appalachian Spring'' devised by Graham was revised many times by both her and Copland; the title characters' names were changed numerous times and other characters from the early revisions were cut in the final production. Originally orchestrated for a thirteen-piece chamber orchestra, the score was arranged into various suites by Copland for different purposes; the original ballet featured eight episodes, three of which were cut in the well-known orchestral suite.

The ballet takes place in a small [[Appalachia|Appalachian]] settlement in 19th-century [[Pennsylvania]]. There are four main characters: the Bride, the Husbandman, the Pioneer Woman, and the Revivalist; the last is accompanied by four Followers.{{Efn|name=name}} ''Appalachian Spring'' follows the Bride and the Husbandman as they get married and celebrate with the community. Themes of war are present throughout the story; it is suggested that the Husbandman leaves for war, causing worry and anxiety among the community. [[Shakers|Shaker]] themes also influenced the ballet, notably in the music, where Copland incorporated a [[theme and variations]] on the common Shaker tune "[[Simple Gifts]]".