Morton Gould: American Salute [Anglais] [Relié]

Goodman, a journalist at Long Island Newsday, has written a welcome profile of American composer/conductor Gould (1913-96) that includes interviews with Gould, Gould's family and colleagues, and excerpts from the musician's recorded diaries. (Two earlier attempts at biography were abandoned, and the only other extended documentation on Gould appears to be in unpublished theses.) Weaving together analyses of compositions with (some unnecessarily vulgar) quotes evidencing Gould's family dynamics and self-effacing manner, Goodman traces Gould's artistic and personal development in minute detail, from his years as a radio pianist and bandleader in New York through his presidency of ASCAP to his winning the Pulitzer Prize for the composition "Stringmusic" in 1995. The misconception of Gould as merely a purveyor of light classicsDwhich Goodman succeeds in dispelling contributed to his resentment of and resulting depression over the recognition accorded more charismatic contemporaries such as Leonard Bernstein. Goodman's thoroughly researched volume is recommended for academic and public music collections to fill a gap in 20th-century American music scholarship. Barry Zaslow, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Morton Gould (1913–1996) was a dominant force in American music throughout most of the 20th century. A child prodigy whose first composition was “Just Six” (his age at the time), he was still composing in the 1990s, including several pieces for President Clinton to play on his saxophone. This versatile composer, conductor, arranger, and pianist worked in vaudeville and on radio, from Tin Pan Alley to Broadway, all the while churning out jingles, symphonies, and everything in between. Gould was phenomenally talented; he worked tirelessly to bring great music to wide audiences, which he did with more than 100 best-selling records. The very excess of his gifts, however, may have been the reason that he felt his life to be a failure. He remained subject to profound depressions, which he managed to conceal from the many colleagues who found him always generous and thoughtful. His marriages, like his relationship with his domineering father, were ties of love and hate t! hat caused years of emotional pain. Peter Goodman began working with Gould on Morton Gould: American Salute more than a year before Gould’s death. He spent many hours interviewing Gould as well as his family, friends, and colleagues. Upon Gould’s death, his family allowed Goodman access to his files, diaries, records, and tapes. The result is a full, detailed, and well-rounded story.

In the Foreword to Morton Gould: American Salute, Tim Page dubs Gould (1913-1996) an "embodiment of 'homegrown' music for more than half a century," citing as evidence his wide range of musical experience, from playing piano in vaudeville and conducting swing bands on radio shows to composing a concert piece for "a rap singer and an orchestra." Despite his enormous breadth and depth of achievement, Gould never felt assured of his place as a serious musician, and he found himself increasingly disappointed as he surveyed the mark that he was leaving. Goodman, uniquely armed with Gould’s cooperation before his death, and the assistance of Gould’s family and friends, has assembled a fascinating account of the man and musician. From a prodigious childhood with a difficult father, to his role as an "elder statesman of music," Goodman examines Gould's struggles with teachers and formal instruction as a child, following the thread of his career as it intertwined with his private life.

Peter W. Goodman is a New York City native and long-time resident of Long Island. A journalist, he writes for Newsday, a Long Island-based newspaper.

Married to his true love. His star rising. Links with powerful musicians. Financial security. By the end of 1936 until 1945, he was on the air at least once a week presenting a remarkable variety of music and performers coast to coast.

Except for Gershwin, no composer of the period -- not Copland, Harris, Thomson, Barber, or others in art music, nor Kern, Berlin, Rodgers, Lerner -- had Gould’s reach across genres. It was a grand time for radio musicians, who knew they were involved in something new and unusual. There was a strong sense of camaraderie; the top players were in demand and took every job they could get -- with Gould, with Kostelanetz, with Mark Warnow at CBS or Frank Black at NBC. The New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera could not compete with radio for wages.

When Gershwin died in the summer of 1937, Down Beat, in a full-page article by Carl Cons, prominently nominated Gould his successor. This motion was seconded late in 1938 by Jerald Mannin in the magazine Radio Stars; Mannin offered Gould as one of four heirs to the throne (the others were composer Ferde Grofe, Gershwin's arranger; Gould’s friend Raymond Scott; and Duke Ellington). No one but Gould matched Gershwin until Bernstein came along.