Fanfare for the Common Man (3:32)

Composed in 1942 (while Copland was working on his Third and final symphony, which uses a reworked version of the Fanfare extensively in its fourth movement). It was written to a commission by Eugène Goossens, conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. According to Copland, Goossens, who had commissioned fanfares from British composers during World War I to begin each orchestral concert, had decided to do so again using American composers. 18 such fanfares were commissioned.

Copland considered several titles including Fanfare for a Solemn Ceremony and Fanfare for Four Freedoms; to Goossens’ surprise, however, Copland titled the piece Fanfare for the Common Man. Goossens wrote “Its title is as original as its music, and I think it is so telling that it deserves a special occasion for its performance. If it is agreeable to you, we will premiere it 12 March 1943 at income tax time”. Copland’s replied that he was “all for honoring the common man at income tax time”.