It was Goldman's contention that the New York symphony and orchestra musicians in the summer bands of the time, rarely rehearsed and did not take these performances very seriously. He saw the potential for starting a really good wind ensemble.
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, Prospect Park,[1] and at the Guggenheim Bandshell at Lincoln Center. 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 Foundation, the band was able to perform in New York and also tour the U.S. and Canada and perform on radio and television.
The Goldman Band was widely considered the successor to the John Philip Sousa band. Many of Sousa's musicians went on to play with the Goldman Band including Henry Heidelberg (piccolo); Johnny Carr, Raymond Scott, Emil Preiss and Joseph Chaney (clarinet);Del Staigers, Oscar B. Short and George Fee (cornet); Wayne Lewis (euphonium) and William Bell (tuba player). [2]
In 1983, the Guggenheim Foundation withdrew funding to concentrate on social justice issues, and the band had to start fundraising from other sources, and shortened their season to thirty-five concerts over a seven-week period.
Conductors after Edwin Franko Goldman
After Goldman's death at age 78 in 1956, his son, Richard Franko Goldman, took the podium until 1979; the year before his death in 1980.[1]Ainslee Cox served as co-conductor with Goldman beginning in 1968, and was sole conductor of the band from 1979 until his death in 1988.[3] Gene Young succeeded Cox as director until 1997. He was followed by David Eaton (1997-2000), and the last conductor was Christian Wilhjelm.[4]
Some premieres
Over the years a large number of famous composers have written for the band.[4] The Goldman Band gave the first complete performance of Percy Grainger's composition 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.[5] 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 premiered Robert Russell Bennett's Rose Variations for cornet and band with James F. Burke (musician) as the cornet soloist. The band also premiered Bennett's last major composition for band, Autobiography, on June 22, 1977.
Cornet solos were a featured attraction at most Goldman Band concerts. In 1960, Richard Franko Goldman began to use trumpet soloists in addition to cornet soloists. (Best viewed at 75% screen resolution.)
Ernest WilliamsWaino KauppiDel StaigersJ. Frank ElsassDavid C. RosebrookLeonard B. SmithRaymond CrisaraJames F. BurkeSyd Baker (Sydney Beckerman)
Soloist
Tenure
Position
Comprehensive list of cornet solos performed in concert - June, July & August 1917 - 1980
Cradle Song from "Jocelyn"(Godard)
[8]
Aria from "The Trumpeter Of Sackingen"(Nessler)
[9]
"Could My Songs Their Way Be Winging"(Hahn)
[10]
"Plasir d'Amour"(Martini)
[11]
"It Was Not Thus To Be"(Nessler)
[12]
"Berceuse" from "Jocelyn"(Godard)
[13][14]
Air from "Robert the Devil"(Meyerbeer)
[13][15][16]
Air from "Mesfistofele"(Boito)
[31]
"Inflammatus"(Rossini)
[32][33]
"The Lost Chord"(Sullivan)
[34][35][36]
"The Debutante"(Clarke)
[37]
"Because"(d'Hardelot)
[37]
"The Pyramids"(Liberati)
[38]
"Neptune"(Clarke)
[39]
Aria from "The Trumpeter Of Sakingen"(Nessler)
[32]
"Serenade" (Schubert)
[31]
"The Volunteer"(Rogers)[60][53][61]
"Remembrance Of Switzerland"(Liberati)
[62][53]
"Carnival Of Venice"(Rogers)
[46]
"Carnival Of Venice" (Clarke)
[43][49][61]
"Young Werner's Parting Song"(Nessler)
[58]
Overture "Poet And Peasant"(Suppe)
[59]
"It Was Not Thus To Be"(Nessler)[63]
"The Lost Chord"(Sullivan)
[223]Aria from "Samson and Delilah"(Saint-Saens)
[229][188][193]
Aria from "Carmen"(Bizet)
[173]
"Merry Wives Of Windsor"
[230]
"Irish Fantasie"(Rogers)
[195][178][187][254][248]
"None But The Lonely Heart"(Tchaikovsky)
[196]
"Sounds From The Hudson"(Clarke)
[198]
"Princess Alice" (Bellestedt)
[203]
Aria from "Don Carlos" (Verdi)
[255][178]
Aria from "Lucrezia Borgia"
[175]
"Among The Stars"(Goldman)
[190]
"Young Werner's Parting Song"
[191][174]
Cornet trios (and the occasional quartet or brass quintet) were also featured at many Goldman Band concerts.
The trio of Leonard B. Smith (Musician), Frank Elsass and John "Ned" Mahoney were known as "The Three Aces".[524]
The Three Aces
Seasons
Cornet Trio/Quartet/Quintet
Examples Of Trios/Quartets/Quintets Performed In Concert
In April 2005, negotiations between the band's negotiating committee and the board of directors broke down after the committee failed to get an extension to play at their Memorial Day concert. The board of directors presented various offers with other band members; among them was a proposal to remove five musicians from the band to 48 players. According to then-secretary Mark Heter, the reduction "would not have cut any of the band's 45 tenured posts." The offer also included removing musicians from the board of directors, as well as eliminating the season guarantee from their concerts.[545] However, the committee declined their offer on May 22.[546] Five days later, on May 27, the Goldman Band ceased operations, ending 87 years of service.[546][547]
