INTRODUCTION
Catchphrases such as “American vernacular” or “vigorous American contemporary
spirit,”’ appear in almost every biography, review and article of Larsen’s works, yet there
has been relatively little study of how the composer’s music actually embodies these
qualities. One part of Larsen’s “Americanism” has to do with how the composer
perceives herself and her environment. Early in her career she adopted the publishing
name “Libby” because of its American sound,2 and it is a name that certainly seems to
suit the slender, petite, and very energetic composer. A life-long resident of Minnesota,
she has great respect for the vastness of the United States and attempts to find a “one-
ness” in its culture through her music.3 She is quick to point out the challenge of finding
unity in the culture of the American people, especially when compared to European
countries which are smaller both physically and demographically, but throughout her
career she has tried to look for the “detail in relationship to a vast array” 4 and study the
elements which unite the American culture as a whole.
Larsen’s interest in creating a uniquely American sound in her music comes not
only from the eclectic group of American composers whom she has studied and admired
throughout her life, including Aaron Copland, James Brown, Louis Armstrong, Philip
’ In light of the numerous biographies of Larsen available, relevant biographical material
will be incorporated throughout this document. For a full biography, please see Appendix
A.
2 Douglas R. Boyer, “The Choral Music of Libby Larsen: An Analytical Study of Style”
(DMA, diss., The University of Texas at Austin, 1994), 4.
Libby Larsen, interview by the author, audio recording, Minneapolis, MN, 10 August
2008.
4 Ibid.