This week on “Picture Perfect,” it will be a much-needed reality check, as we pause to give thanks for the blessings of family, community, and country. Join me for selections from “The Cummington Story” (Aaron Copland), “Field of Dreams” (James Horner), “The Best Years of Our Lives” (Hugo Friedhofer), and “Lincoln” (John Williams). We’ll tune out the noise and focus on what’s really important for Thanksgiving, on “Picture Perfect,” music for the movies, this Saturday evening at 6:00 EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.
PHOTO: Homer’s homecoming in “The Best Years of Our Lives”
There’s more to Thanksgiving than just turkey and football. This week on “Picture Perfect,” we count our blessings and aspire to do better, with music from movies reflective of what’s best in human nature and most admirable in the American character.
Aaron Copland’s work on “The Cummington Story” (1945), a semi-documentary produced by the Office of War Information, underscores the gradual acceptance of European war refugees into a cautious but fundamentally decent New England community. The music is pure Americana, with some of the material later finding its way into Copland’s Clarinet Concerto and “Down a Country Lane.”
“Field of Dreams” (1989) is one of those rare films that has the ability to reduce manly men – even those without father issues – to a pool of tears. Phil Alden Robinson’s superior adaptation of W.P. Kinsella’s novel, “Shoeless Joe,” is a male wish-fulfillment fantasy, in which a man finds redemption, and a new understanding of his father, in the enchanted cornfields of America’s heartland. And it’s all brought about courtesy of America’s pastime, baseball. The evocative score, much indebted to Copland, is by James Horner.
“The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946) is one of the great American classics. This touching film tells the tale of the three WWII veterans struggling to readjust to civilian life. It isn’t easy, but with the support of family and friends, there’s plenty of hope for the future. Hugo Friedhofer wrote the Academy Award-winning score, earning the film one of its seven Oscars. The orchestrations were by Copland protégé (and composer of “The Big Country”) Jerome Moross.
Finally, Daniel Day-Lewis elevated Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” (2012) to greatness with one of the uncanniest performances ever captured on film. Day-Lewis’ gentle but shrewd Man of Destiny would go to any lengths to hold the country together. John Williams tapped into America’s proud musical heritage, clearly influenced by Copland and Ives to create a score of stirring nobility.
I hope you’ll join me as we give thanks for family, community and country on “Picture Perfect,” music for the movies, this Saturday evening at 6:00 EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and at wwfm.org.
And thank you, YouTube, for making “The Cummington Story” available online!
Watching it again, it’s interesting to reflect on what an influence, for good or ill, media and government have had in shaping the popular consciousness.
How fortunate that one of our greatest composers lived through an era when so much could be documented on film. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I’ve assembled a Copland cornucopia, for his birthday.
I received word last week that something else will be taking over my regular Friday time slot. Therefore, beginning next week, and going forward, the show will air on SATURDAY AT 6 PM EDT.
Tune in for a program of music by New York composers in Hollywood, including Leonard Bernstein’s “On the Waterfront” (perfect for Labor Day weekend), Aaron Copland’s “The Red Pony” (after Steinbeck), Virgil Thomson’s “Louisiana Story” (the only film score ever to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize), and Elie Siegmeister’s “They Came to Cordura” (the source of “Picture Perfect”s signature music).
The Bernstein and Copland are NOT the popular concert suites, but rather special, vintage recordings, struck from the films’ original elements.
No use swearing like a longshoreman. Saturday night is now movie night. “Picture Perfect” moves to Saturday, starting next week at 6:00 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.
