▁by ▁A aron ▁Cop land . ▁ ▁History ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁Cop land ▁wrote ▁incident al ▁music ▁for ▁the ▁play ▁Qu iet ▁City ▁by ▁Ir win ▁Shaw . ▁He ▁later ▁worked ▁some ▁of ▁it ▁into ▁a ▁ten - min ute ▁composition ▁designed ▁to ▁be ▁performed ▁independently ▁of ▁the ▁play . ▁The ▁piece ▁premier ed ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁by ▁conduct or ▁Daniel ▁Sa iden berg ▁and ▁his ▁Sa iden berg ▁Little ▁Sym phony ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁ ▁The ▁original ▁score ▁for ▁the ▁play ▁was ▁composed ▁for ▁tr ump et , ▁alto ▁sa x oph one , ▁B ▁clar inet ▁( d ou bling ▁bass ▁clar inet ), ▁and ▁piano . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Cop land , ▁the ▁piece ▁was ▁" an ▁attempt ▁to ▁mirror ▁the ▁trouble d ▁main ▁character ▁of ▁Ir win ▁Shaw ' s ▁play ," ▁who ▁had ▁abandoned ▁his ▁Jewish ness ▁and ▁his ▁po etic ▁asp ir ations ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁purs ue ▁material ▁success ▁by ▁Ang lic izing ▁his ▁name , ▁marry ing ▁a ▁rich ▁social ite , ▁and ▁becoming ▁the ▁president ▁of ▁a ▁department ▁store . ▁The ▁man , ▁however , ▁was ▁contin ually ▁re called ▁to ▁his ▁conscience ▁by ▁the ▁ha un ting ▁sound ▁of ▁his ▁brother ' s ▁tr ump et ▁playing . ▁Cont inu ing ▁the ▁assess ment ▁in ▁his ▁own ▁aut obi ography , ▁Cop land ▁observed ▁that ▁" Q ui et ▁City ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁become ▁a ▁musical ▁entity ,