Aaron Copland's Hollywood Film Scores : University of Rochester Press : 9781580469913 : 1580469914 : 01 Jun 2020 : A pioneering study of how American composer Aaron Copland helped shape the sound of the Hollywood film industry and introduced the moviegoing public to modern musical styles. One of the most influential and beloved American composers, Aaron Copland played a critical role in shaping what is often recognized as the "American sound." He is best known for achieving this through his works for the concert hall and ballet. Yet his film scores, though less familiar nowadays, were equally influential. Between 1939 and 1949, Copland composed the music for five major Hollywood films: Lewis Milestone's Of Mice and Men (1939), Sam Wood's Our Town (1940), Lewis Milestone's The North Star (1943) and The Red Pony (1949), and William Wyler's The Heiress (1949). These were high-prestige projects, based on literary works by such respected figures as Henry James, Lillian Hellman, and John