An Interview with
Peter W. Goodman
Amadeus Press: How did you first become interested in Gould as a subject for a book, and how did you conduct your research? Peter: As a music critic for Newsday, I reviewed Morton’s music and often met him at concerts or elsewhere. In addition, he was a resident of Long Island and, as such, I wrote about him and used him as a source for many stories. Ultimately, as my preface indicates, the book was actually my wife’s suggestion. When she got tired of hearing me wander around the house moaning that I had to write a book, she finally said, "How about writing a biography of Morton Gould? He’s a nice man." And voila! A great deal of my research was done at Morton’s home in Great Neck, which contained files and scrapbooks from a lifetime, as well as scores, recordings, letters and other memorabilia. I also did research at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, and interviewed scores of Morton’s colleagues, friends, relatives, as well as others. AP: Gould was such a productive musician, recognized with a Pulitzer Prize for his work, yet throughout his life he questioned his success. To what do you attribute this? P: That is the hardest question of all to answer. I think it was probably a combination of several factors. There was the insecurity which is not uncommon among creative people, who wonder if they are doing their best, or wish they could get more recognition. He was also a generally depressed person. There were also the particular circumstances of his own upbringing: he was groomed for success as a prodigy from the age of 5, yet also made to understand that his entire family’s welfare depended upon him. He was torn between the urge to do his own best work, and to do work that would support his family, and Morton never was comfortable with either. AP: What was his role in early radio? P: Morton was an important American musician, whose work was done primarily on radio in the 1930s and 1940s. His radio shows presented intelligent and graceful arrangements of popular music, as well as his own concert compositions - serious music written for broadcast. He was a bridge between the concert hall and popular music, and considered at one point to be an heir to Gershwin. AP: What is Gould most famous for? P: He is most famous for, The Pavanne, second movement of the American Symphonette No. 2, and American Salute, an arrangement of When Johnny Comes Marching Home. AP: His name was a household word in the 1940s, but is not well known today. What do you think is the reason for this? P: Several reasons: Morton left radio and, with the rise of television, radio itself lost its central role in American culture. He also began to concentrate on his concert music, eschewing the popular work that had made him famous. In addition, there seemed to be an almost conscious attempt to write Morton out of the history of American concert music, especially in New York. He was derided. Teachers, academic composers and critics dismissed him as an inconsequential lightweight. AP: What do you think is his greatest contribution to the American music scene? P: Morton helped to create a genuine American presence in concert music, and worked continually to help American composers gain a place in the concert hall.
An author biography is also available.
Books by
Peter W. Goodman:
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