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Celebrating 50 years on FM 91.5
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In celebration of the 40th anniversary of WXXI-FM Classical 91.5 (in 2014), we asked you to help us celebrate. Beginning Tuesday, April 15th, we played your top 40 favorite classical works on air throughout the day, and posted more information about your favorites right here on this page. Learn more about each work that you chose as your top 40 favorites on Classical 91.5.

#27 Aaron Copland

Fanfare for the Common Man

Copland composed the Fanfare in 1942 at the request of the Cincinnati Sympony Orchestra's conductor Eugene Goossens. The piece's title is reported to have been inspired by a famous speech given by vice president Henry A. Wallace, in which Wallace refers to the "Century of the common man." Upon receiving the score for the work, Goossens wrote to Copland saying "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," to which Copland replied "I [am] all for honoring the common man at income tax time."

Image Credit:

1946 Victor Kraft

as seen here