Analyses
Aaron Copland - El Salon Mexico (1937)

Remarks
Arranged by Mark Hindsley
Program Notes
Introduction
[Beginning to 2 (mm. 1 - 18)]
THEME I (based on 1st inversion arpeggio) + "car horns"
0
A
[2 - 4 (mm. 19-33)]
THEME I: slow & awkward, trumpet & clarinet alternate solos
[4 - 7 (mm. 34-60)]
THEME II: bassoon & tenor sax, moving along "optimistically" together
[7 - 8 (mm. 61-72)]
THEME I: soft, 6/8, 1st time heard like this
[8 - 11 (mm. 73-102)]
THEME II: dreamy & hazy
[11 - 13 (mm. 103-123)]
THEME I: Allegro vivace
[13 - 14 (mm. 124-133)]
TRANSITION: upper ww, French horns, woodblock on rhythmic pulse
[14 - 15 (mm. 134-144)]
THEME I: varied + rhythmic pulse
[15 - 16 (mm. 145-155)]
THEME I: 7 - 8 more forceful & with 3/8 BD hit
[16 - 18 (mm. 156-172)]
THEME I: varied with accented eighth note pulse
[18 - 19 (mm. 173-182)]
THEME I: fragmented, transition to B
0
B
[19 - 21 (mm. 183-198)]
THEME III: "siesta", based on opening arpeggio
[21 - 22 (mm. 199-210)]
TRANSITION: various colors passed around
[22 - 6 after 23 (mm. 211-226)]
THEME I: inverted (upside-down arpeggio)
[6 after 23 - 4 before 25 (mm. 227-242)]
TRANSITION: very lazy
[4 before 25 - 26 (mm. 243-256)]
"burro music"
[26 - 5 after 26 (mm. 257-260)]
THEME I in minor: English horn
[5 after 26 - 27 (mm. 261-267)]
"burro music"
[27 - 28 (mm. 268-277)]
THEME IV: E-flat clarinet, humorous
[28 - 5 after 28 (mm. 278-281)]
"burro music"
[5 after 28 - 29 (mm. 282-287)]
THEME I in minor: English horn + oboe
[29 - 5 after 29 (mm. 288-291)]
"burro music"
[5 after 29 - 31 (mm. 292-304)]
THEME IV: E-flat clarinet, humorous
[31 - 33 (mm. 305-323)]
TRANSITION to AI: 6+2/8, trumpet & upper ww alternating solos
0
AI
[33 - 34 (mm. 324-332)]
THEME I: varied, same as 14 - 15 moved over 2 beats & up m2nd
[34 - 36 (mm. 333-352)]
THEME I: varied, based on parts of 11 - 13 up M2nd
[36 - 37 (mm. 353-363)]
THEME I: varied, same as 15 - 16 down m3rd
[37 - 39 (mm. 364-382)]
THEME I: varied with accented eighth note pulse, same as 16 - 18 down m3rd
0
Coda
[39 - 40 (mm. 383-394)]
THEME I: extension varied with rhythmic pulse
[40 - end (mm.395-406)]
THEME I: based on opening arpeggio alternating with large chords, last measure like m.147

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