When examining any type of art, whether it be painting, film, music, or anything else, there is often a tendency to attribute the quality, power, and who knows what else to just one artist that we deem the mastermind -- the painter, the director, the songwriter. Even if it's very clearly a collaboration, we're often more comfortable pinning it to the name that's cooler or more recognizable. The reason for this is difficult to pinpoint. Maybe it really is a valid way to look at things, or maybe it's just easier. Every once in awhile, though, a project comes along that is a pure collaboration in the truest sense of the word; a project that would be radically different if not for the involvement of several diverse minds. Appalachian Spring is such a project.
Martha Graham could be called the Great American Dancer, but quite simply, she is one of the most influential dancers and choreographers of all time. Unfortunately, the best way to describe Graham's impact may be to compare her to others: It has been said that Graham is to dancing as Picasso is to painting, as Stravinsky is to classical music or as Frank Lloyd Wright is to architecture. She radically redefined the possibilities of the form. As the founder and artistic director of the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance, Graham choreographed more pieces than any other choreographer in history. Her pieces reinvigorated the world of dance, showcasing abstract and emotional content that challenged her audience and reflected the troubled world around them. Significantly, Graham knew to surround herself with artists that would challenge and complement her.
Aaron Copland composed the piece in 1944 on Graham's commission. Copland, from Brooklyn, had been composing music since at least age 11. By the time he began his work with Graham, he had worked his way up to a stature that his biographer would call the "Dean of American composers" by writing a slew of music in many different styles and mixing and mingling with an endless list of hugely influential artists. Copland found inspiration in the music of the Shakers (who, interestingly enough, were actually founded in eighteenth-century England) and wrote a score he simply dubbed "Ballet for Martha." Graham, borrowing a line from a Hart Crane poem, titled the piece and ran with it, her choreography telling the story of a group of American settlers.
Isamu Noguchi, a Japanese-American artist who designed the sets for Appalachian Spring, was a frequent collaborator with Graham. The beautiful sets he designed for her here are only a small part of his massive and influential oeuvre, which includes public works like New York City's "Red Cube" and modernist furniture design. The minimalist set designs that Noguchi provided for Graham, particularly in Appalachian Spring, are far from traditional. The elegant pieces that adorn the stage clearly reflect Noguchi's Japanese heritage but somehow evoke the ballet's farm setting with ease. Their simplicity emphasizes and complements the intricate beauty of the dance. In Noguchi, Graham found another perfect collaborator.
The choreographer/dancer, composer, and sculptor that contributed to the ballet reflect the diversity and innovative spirit on which our country prides itself. That a ballet with such exotic influences and avant-garde leanings could become as popular as it did when our country was in the throes of World War II is a testament to the overwhelming power of true artistry. Appalachian Spring was not only the story of American pioneers, but a product of them: three of the most innovative artists of all time at the top of their game.
By Brian Correia