Morton Gould (December 10, 1913February 21, 1996) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, and pianist.

Biography

Morton Gould was born in Richmond Hill, New York, United States. He was recognized early as a child prodigy with abilities in improvisation and

composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography *Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include v ...

. His first composition was published at age six. Gould studied at the Institute of Musical Art in New York. His most important teachers were

Abby Whiteside Abby Whiteside (Aug 27, 1881 Vermillion, South Dakota – Dec 10, 1956 Menlo Park, California) was an American piano teacher. She challenged the finger-centric approach of much classical piano teaching and instead advocated a holistic attitude ...

and Vincent Jones. During the Depression, Gould, while a teenager, worked in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

playing piano in movie theaters, as well as with

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

acts. When Radio City Music Hall opened, Gould was hired as the staff pianist. By 1935, he was conducting and arranging orchestral programs for New York's WOR radio station, where he reached a national audience via the

Mutual Broadcasting System The Mutual Broadcasting System (commonly referred to simply as Mutual; sometimes referred to as MBS, Mutual Radio or the Mutual Radio Network) was an American commercial radio network in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the Old-time radio, golden ...

, combining popular programming with classical music. In 1936, Gould married Shirley Uzin, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1943. In the following year, Gould married Shirley Bank. This marriage too ended in divorce. Gould led the orchestra for ''The Jack Pearl Show'', which was broadcast on NBC in the 1930s. In the 1940s, Gould appeared on the '' Cresta Blanca Carnival'' radio program, ''Keep 'Em Rolling'', and ''Major Bowes' Shower of Stars'', as well as '' The Chrysler Hour'' on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

where he reached an audience of millions. In 1942, he composed music for the short film '' Ring of Steel'', directed by

Garson Kanin Garson Kanin (November 24, 1912 – March 13, 1999) was an American writer and director of plays and films. Early life Garson Kanin was born in Rochester, New York; his family later relocated to Detroit then to New York City. He attended ...

and produced by the Film Unit of the U.S.

Office for Emergency Management The Office for Emergency Management (OEM) was an office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States, United States President. It was established by administrative order, May 25, 1940, in accordance with executive order Execu ...

. Gould had four children. On 16 February 1945, Gould's son Eric was born. Gould's son David was born on 2 March 1947. Gould's first daughter, Abby, was born on 3 February 1950, and, on 21 December 1954, his daughter Deborah was born. Gould composed

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

scores such as ''

Billion Dollar Baby ''Billion Dollar Baby'' is a musical with the book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and the score by Morton Gould. Comden and Green were fresh from their success with '' On the Town'', and the production team was something of an ''On ...

'' and ''

Arms and the Girl Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons * Armaments or weapons ** ...

'';

film music A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to e ...

such as ''

Delightfully Dangerous ''Delightfully Dangerous'' is a 1945 American musical film directed by Arthur Lubin showcasing teenage singer Jane Powell—in her second film on loan out to United Artists from MGM—and orchestra leader Morton Gould. The working titles of thi ...

'', ''

Cinerama Holiday ''Cinerama Holiday'' is a 1955 film shot in Cinerama. Structured as a criss-cross travel documentary, it shows an American couple traveling in Europe and a European couple traveling in the United States. Like all of the original Cinerama produc ...

'', ''

Windjammer A windjammer is a commercial sailing ship with multiple masts that may be square rigged, or fore-and-aft rigged, or a combination of the two. The informal term "windjammer" arose during the transition from the Age of Sail to the Age of Steam ...

'', and ''

In Search of the Castaways ''In Search of the Castaways'' (french: Les Enfants du capitaine Grant, lit=The Children of Captain Grant) is a novel by the French writer Jules Verne, published in 1867–68. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains a number of ill ...

''; music for television series such as ''

World War One World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

'' and the miniseries ''

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...

''; and

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

scores including '' Interplay'', ''

Fall River Legend ''Fall River Legend'' is a ballet by American choreographer Agnes de Mille. While the ballet tells the infamous story of Lizzie Borden, it notably alters the outcome of court case, with Borden receiving a guilty verdict rather than an acquittal. D ...

'', and '' I'm Old Fashioned''. Gould's music, commissioned by symphony orchestras all over the United States, was also commissioned by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) is an American organization dedicated to the performance and promotion of chamber music in New York City. It is the largest organization of its kind in the country for chamber music. CMS's home is ...

, the American Ballet Theatre, and the

New York City Ballet New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company' ...

. His ability to seamlessly combine multiple musical genres into formal classical structure, while maintaining their distinctive elements, was unsurpassed, and Gould received three commissions for the

United States Bicentennial The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States of America as an independent republic. It was a central event ...

. As a conductor, Gould led all of the major American orchestras as well as those of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

, Japan, and Australia. With his orchestra, he recorded music of many classical standards, including Gershwin's ''

Rhapsody in Blue ''Rhapsody in Blue'' is a 1924 musical composition written by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work premiered i ...

'' on which he also played the piano. He won a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

in 1966 for his recording of Charles Ives' first symphony, with the

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenu ...

. In 1983, Gould received the

American Symphony Orchestra League The League of American Orchestras, formerly the American Symphony Orchestra League, is a North American service organization with 700 member orchestras of all budget sizes and types, plus individual and institutional members. Based in New York Ci ...

's Gold Baton Award. In 1986 he was elected to the

American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headq ...

. In 1943, he was hired by the William H. Weintraub advertising agency as its musical director, believed to be the first position of its kind in the advertising field. For many decades Gould was an active member of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers). He sat on its board from 1959 and served as president from 1986 until 1994. During his tenure, he lobbied for the intellectual rights of performing artists as the internet was becoming a force that would greatly affect ASCAP's members. Incorporating new styles into his repertoire as they emerged, Gould incorporated wildly disparate elements, including a rapping

narrator Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the ...

titled "The Jogger and the Dinosaur," American tap dancing in his "Tap Dance Concerto" for dancer and orchestra, and a singing fire department titled "Hosedown"—commissioned works for the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony. In 1993, his work "Ghost Waltzes" was commissioned for the ninth

Van Cliburn International Piano Competition The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (The Cliburn) is an American piano competition by The Cliburn, first held in 1962 in Fort Worth, Texas and hosted by the Van Cliburn Foundation. Initially held at Texas Christian University, the c ...

. In the same year, he received the El Premio ''Billboard'' for his contributions to

Latin music Latin music ( Portuguese and es, música latina) is a term used by the music industry as a catch-all category for various styles of music from Ibero-America (including Spain and Portugal) and the Latino United States inspired by Latin Amer ...

in the United States. In 1994, Gould received the

Kennedy Center Honor The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in a gala celebrating five hono ...

in recognition of lifetime contributions to

American culture The culture of the United States of America is primarily of Western, and European origin, yet its influences includes the cultures of Asian American, African American, Latin American, and Native American peoples and their cultures. The U ...

. In 1995, Gould was awarded the

Pulitzer Prize for Music The Pulitzer Prize for Music is one of seven Pulitzer Prizes awarded annually in Letters, Drama, and Music. It was first given in 1943. Joseph Pulitzer arranged for a music scholarship to be awarded each year, and this was eventually converted ...

for ''

Stringmusic ''Stringmusic'' is a musical composition for string orchestra by the American composer Morton Gould. It was commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra and was premiered at the Kennedy Center by the NSO on March 10, 1994. The piece is dedicat ...

'', a composition commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra in recognition of the final season of director Mstislav Rostropovich. In 2005, he was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He also was a member of the board of the

and of the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

music panel. Gould's origina
manuscripts, personal papers and other pertinent pieces
are archived in the Library of Congress and available to the public. Gould died on February 21, 1996 in Orlando, Florida, where he was the first resident guest composer/conductor at the

Disney Institute Disney Institute is the professional development and external training arm of The Walt Disney Company. The company showcases 'the business behind the magic' through seminars, workshops and presentations, as well as programs for professionals fro ...

and was in the middle of a three-day tribute honoring his music. He was 82 years old.

Work on Broadway

*''Interplay'' (1945), ballet to the choreography of

Jerome Robbins Jerome Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz; October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998) was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director and producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television. Among his nu ...

- composer *''Billion Dollar Baby'' (1945), musical - composer and

orchestrator Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra (or, more loosely, for any musical ensemble, such as a concert band) or of adapting music composed for another medium for an orchestra. Also called "instrumentation", orch ...

*''Arms and the Girl'' (1950), musical - composer and orchestrator *''

' Broadway'' (1989),

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...

- featured

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...

for "Billion Dollar Baby"

Work in film and television

*''

'' (1945), composer and actor *''

Casey, Crime Photographer ''Casey, Crime Photographer'' (also known as ''Crime photographer''; ''Flashgun Casey''; ''Casey, Press Photographer''; ''Stephen Bristol, Crime Photographer'') was an American media franchise that lasted from the 1930s until the 1960s. Created b ...

'' (1951–1952), composer and music *''

'' (1955), composer, additional music by

Jack Shaindlin Jack Shaindlin (April 14, 1909 – September 22, 1978) was a Russian-American musician, composer, arranger, conductor, and music director. He was musical director for ''The March of Time'' newsreel series. Early life and career Shaindlin was b ...

and Nathan Van Cleave *''

'' (1958), composer, orchestra conducted by Jack Shaindlin *''

'' (1962), composer, additional music by

Van Cleave Van Cleave (born Nathan Lang Van Cleave, May 8, 1910 – July 3, 1970) was a composer and orchestrator for film, television, and radio. Biography Born in Bayfield, Wisconsin, he played with big bands, including Doc Fenton and his Sooners ...

*''

'' (

- 1964), composer, CBS Symphony Orchestra conducted by

Alfredo Antonini Alfredo Antonini (May 31, 1901 – November 3, 1983) was a leading Italian-American symphony conductor and composer who was active on the international concert stage as well as on the CBS radio and television networks from the 1930s through the e ...

Works

*Abby Variations (piano) (1964) *A Capella (1987) *Adeste Fidelis *American Ballads, Settings of American Tunes for Orchestra (1976) *American Caprice *American Salute (1942) *American Sing: Settings of Folk Songs (1984) *American Symphonette no 2 (1939) *American Youth March *Americana *The Anniversary Rag (piano) (1994) *Apple Waltzes (In Tribute to George Balanchine) (7 movements from Audubon) (1969) *At the Piano (1964) *Audubon (Birds of America) (1969) *Ballad for Band (1946) *Battle Hymn (1950) *Benny's Gig (1962) *Big City Blues (1950) *Boogie Woogie Etude (for piano and orchestra) (1943) *Buckaroo Blues (1954) *Burchfield Gallery (1978–1979) *Café Rio (1957) *Calypso Souvenir (1964) *Celebration Strut for Orchestra (1981) *'Cellos (1984) *Centennial Symphony, Gala for Band (1983) *Cheers! — A Celebration March (1979) *Christmas Time (1992) *Cinerama Holiday: Suite (1955) *Classical Variations on Colonial Themes (1984) *Columbia: Broadsides for Orchestra (1967) *Come Up From the Valley, Children (1964) *Concertette for Viola and Band (1943) *Concerto Concertante (for violin and orchestra) (1981–1982) *Concerto for Flute (1984) *Concerto for Orchestra (1944) *Concerto for Piano (1938) *Concerto for Viola (1943) *Cowboy Rhapsody (1943) *Dance Gallery *Dance Variations for Two Pianos & Orchestra (1953) *Dancing Days (1966) *Declaration: Suite (1956) *Derivations for Solo Clarinet and Band (1955) *Deserted Ballroom (1936) *Dialogues (for piano and orchestra) (1958) *Diversions: for Tenor Saxophone and Orchestra (1990) *

Dixie Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas shift over the years), or the extent of the area it cover ...

(1949) *Dramatic Fanfares from CBS-TV documentary “World War I” (orchestra) (1964) *Duo for Flute and Clarinet (1982) *

(1947) *Family Album: Suite (1951) *Fanfare for Freedom (1942) *Festive Fanfare (1991) *Festive Music (1964) *Flares and Declamations (1987) *Flourishes and Galop (1983) *Folk Suite (1941) *Formations (1964) *Foster Gallery (1939) *Ghost Waltzes (piano) (1991) *Global Greetings for Symphonic Band (1994) *Guajira (for clarinet and orchestra) (1949) *Hail to a First Lady (1991) *Hamma'ariv aravim (1947) *Harvest (1945) *Holiday Music (1947) *Holocaust: Suite (from the NBC-TV series) (1978) *Home for Christmas *A Homespun Overture (1939) *Hoofer Suite (for Tap Dancer and Orchestra) (1956) *Hosedown: A Firefighter Fable (1995) *Housewarming (1982) * I'm Old Fashioned, The Astaire Variations (1983) *In Search of the Castaways Suite (from the Walt Disney film) (1962) * Interplay (American Concertette) (for piano and orchestra) (1945) *Inventions (for Four Pianos and Orchestra)(1953) *It's A Living *Jeeps and Peeps (1944) *Jekyll and Hyde Variations (1956) *Jericho *Jingle Bells (1952) *The Jogger and the Dinosaur (for rapper and orchestra) (1992) *Latin-American Symphonette (Symphonette No. 4) (1940) *Lincoln Legend (1942) *Main Street March *Main Street Waltz *March of The Leathernecks (1946 first performed)"March of The Leathernecks"
.allmusic.com, accessed February 10, 2016 *Mini-Suite for Band (1968) *Minstrel Show (1946) *Minute-Plus Waltz/Rag (1990) *New China March *No Longer Very Clear (for baritone or mezzo-soprano and piano) (1994) *Notes of Remembrance (1989) *Of Time and the River (1945) *Parade (for Percussion) (1956) *Patterns (piano) (1984) *Philharmonic Waltzes (1948) *Pieces of China (piano) (1985) *Prelude and Toccata *Prisms (1962) *Quotations (1983) *Rag Waltz (piano) (1984) *Recovery Music (for Clarinet) (1984) *Red Cavalry March *Rhythm Gallery (1959) *Saint Lawrence Suite for Band (1958) *Salutations (1966) *Santa Fé Saga (1956) *Serenade of Carols (1949) *Show Piece for Orchestra (1954) *Something To Do—Labor Cantata (1976) *Sonata No. 1 (piano) (1930) *Sonata No. 2 (piano) (1932) *Sonata No. 3 (piano) (1936) *A Song of Freedom (1941) *Soundings (1969) *Spirituals for String Choir and Orchestra (1941) *Spirituals for String Orchestra and Harp (1959) *StringMusic (1995) *Suite (for Cello and Piano) (1981) *Suite (for Violin and Piano) (1945) *Symphonette No. 3 (Third American Symphonette) *Symphonette No. 4 (Latin-American Symphonette) (1933) *Symphonic Serenade (1956) *Symphony No. 1 (1943) *Symphony No. 2 "Symphony on Marching Tunes" (1944) *Symphony No. 3 (1946) *Symphony No. 4 "West Point" (1952) *Symphony of Spirituals (1975) *Tap Dance Concerto (1952) *Ten for Deborah (piano) (1965) *There Are (No) Children Here (1996) *Troubadour Music (1969) *Tuba Suite (1971) *Two for Chorus (1966) *Two Pianos (1987) *Venice for Double Orchestra and Brass Choirs (1967) *Vivaldi Gallery for String Quartet and Divided Orchestra (1968) *Windjammer (1958) *World War I: Selections (Music for the CBS-TV series) (1964) *Yankee Doodle (1945)

Studio albums

* ''Morton Gould Showcase and his Orchestra'' (

Columbia Masterworks Columbia Masterworks was a record label started in 1924 by Columbia Records. In 1980, it was separated from the Columbia label and renamed CBS Masterworks. In 1990, it was revived as Sony Classical after its sale to the Sony Corporation. History ...

, 1947) * ''Wagon Wheels'' (

, 1954) * ''Symphonic Serenade'' ( Columbia Records, 1954) * ''The Serious Gershwin'' ( RCA Victor, 1955) --start of RCA period * ''Jungle Drums'' (1956) * ''Brass and Percussion'' (1957) * ''Blues in the Night'' (1957) * ''Copland: Billy the Kid; Grofe: Grand Canyon Suite'' (1957) * ''Kern/Porter Favorites'' (1958) * ''Moon, Wind and Stars'' (1958) * ''Doubling in Brass'' (1959) * ''Moonlight Sonata'' (1960) * ''Carmen for Orchestra'' (1960) * ''Beyond the Blue Horizon'' (1961) * ''Sousa Forever!'' (1961) * ''Love Walked In'' (1962) * ''Good Night Sweetheart'' (1963) * ''Finlandia: Music of Sibelius'' (1963) * ''More Jungle Drums'' (1964) * ''Latin, Lush and Lovely'' (1964) * ''Makes the Scene'' (1967) * ''Morton Gould Twin Pack'' (1969) * ''A Musical Christmas Tree'' (1969)

References

External links

Morton Gould page at G. Schirmer
* *
Worthy Works by Morton Gould" by Ethan Iverson
June 18, 1988 {{DEFAULTSORT:Gould, Morton 1913 births 1996 deaths 20th-century American composers 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century classical composers 20th-century classical pianists American classical composers American classical pianists American film score composers American jazz composers American male conductors (music) American male classical composers American male classical pianists American male film score composers American male jazz composers American male jazz musicians American music arrangers American musical theatre composers American people of Austrian-Jewish descent ASCAP composers and authors Ballet composers Broadway composers and lyricists Burials at New Montefiore Cemetery Columbia Records artists Distinguished Service to Music Medal recipients Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Jazz-influenced classical composers Jazz musicians from New York (state) Jewish American classical composers Jewish American classical musicians Jewish American jazz composers Jewish jazz musicians Kennedy Center honorees Male musical theatre composers People from Richmond Hill, Queens Pulitzer Prize for Music winners RCA Victor artists