Goldman Band

The Goldman Band was formed by American musician and composer Edwin Franko Goldman in 1918 (see 1918 in music) from the earlier New York Military Band. Goldman had organized the New York Military Band in 1911^[1]. Both bands were based in New York city.

It was Goldman’s contention that the New York symphony and orchestra musicians in the summer bands of the time rarely rehearsed and didn’t take these performances very seriously. He saw the potential for starting a really good wind ensemble.

The Goldman Band's first concert under that name was in 1920 at Columbia University. The program was representative of Goldman’s choices in transcriptions and original works including compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach, Victor Herbert, Edward MacDowell, Johan Svendsen, Ambroise Thomas, Richard Wagner, and Karl Michael Ziehrer.

For ninety-three years the Goldman Band performed free public concerts at a variety of venues in New York city, including on the Green at Columbia, Central Park and Prospect Park^[1]. Famous instrumental and vocal performers appeared with the band along with guest conductors such as Percy Grainger and Vivian Dunn. Traditional and classical works were performed as well as new works for band. Goldman requested new works for band from European composers including Ottorino Respighi, Albert Roussel, and Jaromir Weinberger. With professional musicians and endowment funds from the Guggenheim’s, the band was able to perform in New York and also tour the U.S. and Canada and perform on radio and television.

Conductors after Edwin Franko Goldman

After Goldman’s death at age 78 in 1956, his son, Richard Franko Goldman, took the podium until his death in 1980^[1]. Ainslee Cox followed him until his death in 1988, then Gene Young to 1997, then David Eaton to 2000, and the last conductor Christian Wilhjelm 2000-2005^[2].

Some Premieres

Over the years a large number of famous composers have written for the band^[2]. The Goldman Band gave the first complete performance of Percy Grainger's masterpiece Lincolnshire Posy in the summer of 1937. The first performance of Darius Milhaud’s Suite française, Op. 248 was performed by the Goldman Band on June 13, 1945. The first performance of Arnold Schoenberg's Theme and Variations for Full Band, op.43a, was performed by the Goldman Band on June 27, 1946, with Richard Franko Goldman conducting^[3]. On June 23, 1947 the band and a chorus of 200 performed the American premiere of Hector Berlioz’s Grande symphonie funèbre et triomphale.

The band made numerous recordings for Capitol Records, American Decca, RCA Victrola, and New World Records.

Band Instrumentation

Instrumentation between 1930–1956, when the band consisted of 64 members, was: four flutes, two oboes, one E-flat clarinet, one bass clarinet, nineteen clarinets (eight firsts, six seconds, five thirds), two alto saxophones, one tenor saxophones, one baritone saxophone, two bassoons, four cornets, four trumpets, five French horns, six trombones, two euphoniums, four tubas, two string basses, one Harp, three percussion.

The End of the Goldman Band

The Goldman Memorial Band ceased operations in the summer of 2005. There is ongoing debate as to the real cause of the organization's downfall, with the Board of Directors on one side and a group of long-time band members and their union reps on the other.

Goldman Memorial Band Memorial Webpage

The Goldman Memorial Band (unofficially operated by a group of former band members) still has its webpages online for anyone seeking to learn about it. The band web pages are found at ^[1]

Notes and references

1. ^ ^{a b} Hinckley, David (June 7, 2004). "On the mall: Edwin Franko Goldman". New York Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/city_life/big_town/v-bigtown_archive/story/200650p-173217c.html. 
2. ^ ^a "The Goldman Memorial Band - A Brief History". The Goldman Memorial Band Musician's Web Pages. http://goldmanband.home.att.net. Retrieved December 25, 2005. 
3. ^[4]"Arnold Schönberg - Catalogue of Works". Theme and Variations for Full Band, op.43a. http://schoenberg.at/6_archiv/music/works/op/compositions_op43_e.htm. Retrieved December 26, 2008. ^{[dead link]}
4. ^ "The End". The Goldman Memorial Band Musician's Web Pages. http://goldmanband.home.att.net. Retrieved December 25, 2005. 

References

1. ^ http://www.goldmanband.net/

External links

• Goldman biography
• Music Associates of America article
• Edwin Franko Goldman collection at the University of Maryland