Klarinet Archive - Posting 000329.txt from 1999/10

From: charette@-----.org
Subj: Re: [kl] Funny Nielsen recording
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 11:22:38 -0400

Rick Custer of our Klarinet list sent me a message a few minutes ago,
reminding me (and us) that this very discussion has taken place
before. Rick also attached a thoughtful posting by Connie Josias from
that time. Here's that posting:

Date: Thu, 12 Dec 1996 3:34:02 -0800
From: Josias Associates josassoc@-----.COM>
Subject: Re: Goodman and classical music

I appreciate David Hattner's sensitivity and insight regarding
Goodman's performance of classical selections. I particularly concur
with his conclusions about the debt to Goodman that clarinetists share
because of his contribution to classical clarinet literature through
his commissions. About two years ago, I wrote two messages to this
list (which I have attached to this posting) about his most
controversial recording, the Nielsen Concerto, as performed by the CSO
conducted by Morton Gould. Goodman had consented reluctantly to record
the concerto, and only after considerable hounding by his close
personal friend, Gould. There is little doubt in my mind that Goodman
or Gould had any illusions about how their recording stacked up to
other contemporary recordings of the Concerto. Still, notwithstanding
the flaws in the final product, there was wisdom in Gould's
persistence in pushing Goodman to record the Concerto. And this wisdom
was borne out by a report from one of the list members during that
flurry of messages about Goodman and the Nielsen Concerto. The report,
which I'll attempt to reconstruct and paraphrase from memory, went
something like this:

Our clarinet-playing correspondent was attending a party or other kind
of informal gathering of music lovers in Europe -- Spain, I think --
when the conversation turned to the Goodman/Gould recording of the
Nielsen Concerto. "Simply marvelous," seemed to be the consensus. Our
reporter, nonplussed at the lack of discrimination in their choice of
recording, asked the group, "Aren't you aware of the superior
recordings of that work by other artists?" Someone attempted to
explain diplomatically that no one in that audience played clarinet or
was aware of comparative merits of recordings by clarinetists other
that Goodman. Most important, they bought Goodman's recording of the
Nielsen Concerto not because of Nielsen's work, with which they were
unfamiliar, but because Goodman was the artist and they wanted to hear
him. Ultimately, they liked what they heard, were not disposed to buy
another recording of the concerto by another artist, but were now
probably open to hear live concert performances by other artists. The
reporter, who may still be on the list and may see this reference to
his/her message, concluded (as I recall) with an admission of being
chastened by the knowledge that the world at large doesn't always
react to clarinet performances as clarinet specialists do, and that
perhaps, in a larger sense, there was virtue in Goodman's performing
the Nielsen Concerto.

Connie
Conrad Josias
La Canada, California
>>From josassoc@-----.com

Thu Dec 12 11:35:47 1996
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 1995 17:39:32 -0800 (PST)
From: Josias Associates josassoc@-----.com>

Nielsen Concerto

On Wed, 25 Jan 1995, Steve Prescott wrote:

>I have a recording of Benny Goodman playing the Nielsen Concerto. I
>disagree with some of his interpretation. I also agree with some. This
>does not mean Mr. Goodman is a bad player.
>Steve Prescott
>Instrument Rep. Tech./Clarinetist
>Indiana State Univ.
>mipresc@-----.edu

In spite of his many commissions of famous classical works for the
clarinet, and possibly because of his preeminence in jazz, Benny
Goodman was believed by many to be a pretender when it came to
performing classical music. Yet, when it came to performances of works
written for him --works such as Bartok's "Contrasts," Copland's
"Concerto for Clarinet," Gould's "Derivations," and Poulenc's "Sonata
for Clarinet and Piano," his performances were usually found
acceptable. Contrary to some popular thought, he was not hell-bent on
performing all the classical concerto literature. I received a personal
insight into that part of Goodman during a conversation with Morton
Gould, whom I know personally. Gould was a close friend and advisor of
Goodman's and was also the conductor used by Goodman on some of his
recordings, one of which was the Nielsen Concerto. Gould told me that,
when he proposed to Goodman that he record the Nielsen Concerto,
Goodman flatly rejected the idea, partly because preparing it was a
lot of work, and possibly because he might have felt that the work was
best left to classical specialists like Drucker, who (if my time frame
is correct) already had a fine recording out on the market. Gould
finally overcame Goodman's objections, and the project proceeded to
completion. Gould conceded that, although the performance might have
had some flaws, in the final analysis, both he and Goodman were glad
they made the recording, which became a kind of last hurrah for their
joint team, and did display Goodman doing many things capably.

Connie
Conrad Josias
La Canada, California

>>From josassoc@-----.com
Thu Dec 12 11:36:21 1996
Date: Wed, 1 Feb 1995 13:59:12 -0800 (PST)

Subject: Re: Goodman and the Nielsen Concerto

On Wed, 1 Feb 1995, Christopher G Zello wrote:

>I had heard a far fetched story which came to mind after reading a
>recent posting. Is there any truth to the following: Frank Cohen was
>in a music shop or some such many years ago. In walked Benny Goodman.
>Here was this young Frank and Goodman was kind of ripping on him and
>somehow he discovered that Frank was working of the Nielsen --
>getting ready to play (maybe even record) it. Goodman kind of laughed
>and then went out and decided himself to record the Nielsen (partly
>to not be shown up by FC). Obviously a lot of details were taken out
>and a lot of facts omitted.
>Christopher Zello
>czello@-----.edu

Chris, There may be more to the story than I know about, but I must
agree with you that it does sound farfetched. What I can tell you first
hand is that Morton Gould, who was a close personal friend of Goodman's
and was the conductor of the orchestra that accompanied Goodman on the
Nielsen Concerto, told me that Goodman was initially extremely averse
to Gould's repeated suggestions that he perform the concerto. He also
told me that Goodman rebuffed him several times (some of the reasons
having been mentioned in my last posting on this subject) before he
acquiesced. It's possible that there could have been some external
"last straw" -- something or someone like FC who pulled Goodman's
chain. But, from what I know about Goodman, he had an extremely high
regard for the clarinetists in the major orchestras (as well as certain
newcomers) and didn't regard them as his rivals. But more important,
with his existing accomplishments in the classical field (commissions,
recorded performances, etc.), he was secure enough in the knowledge of
what he had done to make it hard to believe that he would succumb to
such a knee-jerk jealous reaction. I believe that what eventually
happened is that Gould prevailed on Goodman that, while he was still
on the scene, he would be remiss by not performing such an important
work.
Connie
Conrad Josias
La Canada, California

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