George Copeland (April 3, 1882 – June 16, 1971)David Dubal, The Art of the Piano (Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 2005), 78. was an American classical pianist known primarily for his relationship with the French composer Claude Debussy in the early 20th century and his interpretations of modern Spanish piano works.
Education and early career (1882-1903) A native of Massachusetts, George A. Copeland Jr. began piano studies as a child with Calixa Lavallée, a music critic, champion of American music, and prolific composer of children's pedagogical music.E. Douglas Bomberger, ed. Brainard's Biographies of American Musicians, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999, 166-167. Copeland later worked at the New England Conservatory with Carl Baermann."George Copeland in Piano Recital." Hartford Daily Courant, December 24, 1916, 11.
While still a student in Boston in the late 1890s, Copeland formed a duo with cellist T. Handasyd Cabot (of the Cabot family). Copeland's first performance of a piece by Debussy in January 1904 was a shared recital with Cabot in which they also played the Cello Sonata No. 1 by Brahms."Cabot-Copeland Recital," Boston Post, January 16, 1904, 10. A month after this performance, they appeared as a trio with Karel Ondříček, a concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and member of the Kneisel Quartet."Preludes and Echos," Boston Globe, February 7, 1904, 33.
Copeland traveled to Europe to study with Giuseppe Buonamici in Florence.Ibid. While in Europe, he also studied with Teresa Carreño in Berlin.Summers, Jonathan. "George Copeland (1882-1971)." https://www.naxos.com/Bio/Person/George_Copeland/1210. Copeland returned to the United States in the spring of 1903; a year later, Copeland was coached in either Boston or Paris by the English-American pianist Harold Bauer, concentrating on the works of Robert Schumann.In the Music World, Boston Evening Transcript, November 14, 1903, 26.Peter Knapp, "George Copeland is Impressive in Stonington Theatre Recital." The Day (New London, CT: July 17, 1954). Bauer was considered a Schumann specialist at the time, and would later publish his own edition of the complete piano music of Schumann for G. Schirmer. Copeland only performed two pieces of Schumann on his programs: the Symphonic Studies, Op. 13 and Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26. The former work was commonly found in his concerts before the 1920s, and he recorded the latter piece in the early 1960s; the recording is available on the Pearl CD "Piano Masters: George Copeland" (PRL 0121).
Copeland and Spanish music Copeland became an Iberian specialist, performing works of Isaac Albéniz, Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados, and others throughout the United States and Europe. In 1909, he introduced three of Albéniz's Iberia suite to the United States, playing "El Albaicín," "Malaga", and "Triana" in Boston."Musical Events in Boston." Christian Science Monitor. November 3, 1909: 10. He quickly dropped these works from his repertoire, only including "El Polo" from the "Iberia" suite in his programs.
Copeland and Debussy On January 15, 1904, Copeland gave one of the earliest-known performance of Debussy's piano works in the United States, playing the Deux Arabesques at Steinert Hall in Boston.Charles Timbrell. "Performances of Debussy's Piano Music in the United States (1904–1918). Debussy Cahiers no. 21 (Paris, France: 1997), 63. Copeland was not the first to perform Debussy in the United States; that honor went to Helen Hopekirk, a Scottish pianist who programmed the Deux Arabesques in Boston in 1902. A survey of his programs shows that from the first time he programmed the Deux arabesques, he performed at least one work of Debussy at every recital he played for the remainder of his life.
In 1911, he met Debussy in Paris and spent several months studying with the composer, discussing and playing all of Debussy's piano works. This was a turning point in Copeland's life; until his death 60 years later, Copeland would recall his time with Debussy with the greatest affection and reverence, both in print and in conversation with friends. In 1913, Copeland gave the following account of their discussions:Archie Bell. "Copeland and Debussy," The Cleveland Plain-Dealer, January 15, 1913. "I have never heard anyone play the piano in my life who understood the tone of every note as you do," remarked Debussy. "Come again tomorrow." This seemed praise indeed and I did go tomorrow. I found him much more genial than on my first visit, and then I went time after time, until finally I was with him about twice a week for three months. I bought new copies of his works, which he marked for me; I played his works and he criticized my work and showed me what to do and how to do it. In the end, he admitted that I played him just as he wanted to be played and represented to the people. By 1955, Copeland had modified his account to have Debussy say: "I never dreamed that I would hear my music played like that in my lifetime.George Copeland. "Debussy, the Man I Knew" The Atlantic 195, no. 1 (January 1955): 34–38. In this later version, Copeland claimed that their meetings were daily, for four months, including periods of playing as well as long walks in the countryside.
Copeland gave several U.S. premieres of Debussy's works, as well as a handful of confirmed and likely world premieres. The most important of these latter was the world premiere of numbers X and XI of the Etudes on November 21, 1916, at Aeolian Hall in New York City.James R. Briscoe, Debussy in Performance (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2000), 113. The program included Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 23, Debussy's two piano work En blanc et noir performed with Copeland's student Elizabeth Gordon, and miscellaneous short pieces. The anonymous critic for Musical Courier was not particularly impressed with the Études, writing "Novelties...included two etudes by Debussy. The latter, in themselves, are not so absorbing as some of the composer's more familiar pieces, but as played by Mr. Copeland they acquired a delicate tone and glowing imagery that were surpassingly beautiful."Anonymous, Musical Courier, December 14, 1916. Copeland concluded the recital with his own arrangement of "The Blue Danube". Several weeks later, he repeated the program in Boston. Philip Hale seemed more enthusiastic than his New York counterpart: "The two new pieces by Debussy afforded the pianist an effective opportunity for displaying the vaporous quality of tone, the imagination and finesse for which he is now famous."Critic Philip Hale, Boston Herald, December 10, 1916.
+ Copeland's First Performances of Solo Works of Debussy Repertoire Location Date Deux arabesques Steinert Hall, Boston, MA January 15, 1904"Cabot-Copeland Recital." Boston Post, January 16, 1904, 10. Passepied and Clair de lune (Suite Bergamasque); Prélude (Pour le piano) Steinert Hall, Boston, MA April 17, 1906 Nocturne Steinert Hall, Boston, MA February 28, 1908 Reflets dans l'eau (Images I); Cortège et air de dance (L'enfat prodigue); Et la lune descend sur le temple qui fut (Images II) Chickering Hall, Boston, MA November 24, 1908"Concerts Next Week." Boston Evening Transcript, November 21, 1908, 36. Pagodes (Estampes) Potter Hall, Boston, MA December 20, 1908"Potter Hall: The Lekeu Club." Boston Evening Transcript, December 21, 1908, 12. L'isle joyeuse Potter Hall, Boston, MA January 17, 1909"Musical News." Boston Evening Transcript, January 18, 1909, 13. Hommage à Rameau (Images I); Poissons d'or (Images II) Chickering Hall, Boston, MA February 16, 1909"Concerts Next Week." Boston Evening Transcript, February 13, 1909, 20. Suite Bergamasque (complete); Cloches à travers les feuilles (Images II) Chickering Hall, Boston, MA April 26, 1909"A Debussy Concert." Boston Evening Transcript, April 27, 1909, 14. Le petite berger (Children's Corner Suite); Danse sacrée et danse profane Chickering Hall, Boston, MA November 2, 1909"Concerts Next Week." Boston Evening Transcript La soirée dans Grenade (Estampes); Des pas sur la neige, Minstrels, Voiles, La sérénade interrompue, La cathédrale engloutie, La danse de Puck (Préludes I)Jordan Hall, Boston, MANovember 10, 1910"Chickering Hall: Copeland and Debussy." Boston Evening Transcript, November 5, 1910, III-3. Danseuses de Delphes, Le vent dans la plaines, Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir, Les collines d'Anacapri, La fille aux cheveux lin (Préludes I)Jordan Hall, Boston, MA February 14, 1911"News of the Day." Boston Evening Transcript, February 4, 1911, II-6.Bruyères, Ondine, La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune, Brouillards, Les fées sont d'exquises danseuses, Général Lavine - eccentric, La puerta del Vino, Feux d'artifice (Préludes II)Jordan Hall, Boston, MA November 13, 1913"Jordan Hall-Mr. Copeland." Boston Evening Transcript, November 8, 1913, IV-3. La boîte à joujoux The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, Boston, MA March 24, 1914 (possible world premiere of piano reduction)Anonymous. "Copley Plaza: Mr. Copeland," Boston Transcript, March 25, 1914.Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune (arr. Copeland)Jordan Hall, Boston, MA January 7, 1915P.G.C. "Jordan Hall-Mr. Copeland." Boston Evening Transcript, January 8, 1915, 12.Berceuse héroïque; Feuilles Mortes (Préludes II)Jordan Hall, Boston, MA February 18, 1915 (possible premiere of Berceuse)"Jordan Hall: Mr. Copeland. Boston Evening Transcript, February 19, 1915, 12.Étude 10 pour les sonorités opposées, Étude 11 pour les arpèges composés Aeolian Hall, New York, NY November 21, 1916 (world premiere)
Building a career (1905-1914) Copeland's connection with Debussy and his embrace of French music helped him immensely. A newspaper item from 1909 said that Copeland was "the most expert and sensitive of all the pianists whom Boston ordinarily hears to the music of Debussy, Ravel, and the new French composers in general.""The Concert Calendar," Boston Evening Transcript, October 23, 1909, II-7. In 1908, Copeland and a group of friends formed "The Lekeu Club," a chamber group named after Belgian composer Guillaume Lekeu. The club included T. Handasyd Cabot on cello, violinists Frederick Mahn and Frank Currier, violist Alfred Girtzen, and Copeland. Unfortunately the group was short-lived, performing only from c. February 1908 to April 1909, but they offered intriguing music to the Boston area, including the Piano Quintet by Franck, Piano Trio in A minor by Tchaikovsky, and the Piano Quintet in F minor by Brahms. Chamber works were interspersed with piano solos, always of course including some Debussy.
Copeland made his English debut at Leighton House Museum in 1910 as a supporting artist to French mezzo-soprano Blanche Marchesi. He played a group of solos that included Debussy's "Poissons d'or" and Felix Mendelssohn's Scherzo, Op. 16, No. 2, and also evinced a gift for accompanying, as noted by a reviewer:"Leighton House," The Daily Telegraph (London, UK), July 8, 1910, 12."...Mr. Copeland illustrated the possession of a technique as rare as it is welcome to-day among a race of giant pianists too apt to regard the piano as a monster to be subdued rather than as a fairy to be courted. How beautifully such accomplishment as Mr. Copeland's can be employed in the accompaniment of singing is only to be understood by those fortune enough to have heard him accompany Madame Marchesi..."
Early in his career, Copeland often appeared in joint recitals with a number of singers including Evelyn Scotney and Julia Culp."Evelyn Scotney Charms in Concert."Boston Globe, February 9, 1912, 14."Joint Concert." Pittsburgh Dispatch, November 26, 1918, VI-3.
Vaudeville and Isadora (1914-1917)