Goldman Band

Goldman Band
The Goldman Band circa 1920
Background information
Origin	New York, New York
Genres	Concert Band
Years active	1918-2005
Labels	Victor Records Decca Columbia
Past members	Edwin Franko Goldman Richard Franko Goldman

The Goldman Band was an American concert band founded in 1918 by Edwin Franko Goldman from his previous New York Military Band. 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, Prospect Park, 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.

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. 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. Gene Young succeeded Cox as director until 1997. He was followed by David Eaton (1997-2000), and the last conductor was Christian Wilhjelm.

Some premieres

Over the years a large number of famous composers have written for the band. 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. 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.

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

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 saxophone, one baritone saxophone, two bassoons, four cornets, four trumpets, five French horns, six trombones, two euphoniums, four tubas, two string basses, one harp, and three percussionists.

Cornet Soloists

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.

Soloist	Tenure	Position	Comprehensive List Of Solos Performed In Concert - June, July & August 1918 - 1980 * denotes debut performance
Ernest Williams	1918-1922	Principal Cornet Soloist	Cradle Song from "Jocelyn" Aria from The Trumpeter Of Sackingen" "Could My Songs Their Way Be Winging" "Plasir d'Amour" "It Was Not Thus To Be" "Berceuse" from "Jocelyn" Air from "Robert the Devil" "Inflammatus" "A Soldiers Dream" "None But The Lonely Heart" "Young Werner's Parting Song" "The Great Awakening" "Serenade"(Schubert) "I'll Sing These Songs of Araby" "If Flowers Could Speak" "Ouray" "Samson and Delilah" "The Lost Chord"
Vincent C. Buono	1919-1922	Assistant Cornet Soloist	"Merry Wives Of Windsor"
Vincent C. Buono	1923	Principal Cornet Soloist	Air from "Mesfistofele" "Inflammatus" "The Lost Chord" "The Debutante"(Clarke) "Because"(d'Hardelot) "The Pyramids" "Neptune"(Clarke) Aria from "The Trumpeter Of Sakingen" "Serenade" (Schubert)
Waino Kauppi	1924-1926	Principal Cornet Soloist	"None But A Lonely Heart" "The Lost Chord" "Serenade"(Schubert) "Fantasie Billiante" (Clarke) "Concert Fantasie" (Clarke) "Oh Promise Me" "Samson and Delilah" "The Commadore" (Chambers) "Russian Fantasy"(Levy) "The Debutante" (Clarke) "A Soldiers Dream" "Inflamattus" "Remembrance Of Switzerland" "It Was Not Thus To Be" "Carnival Of Venice"(Rogers) Overture "Poet And Peasant"(Suppe) "Aphrodite" "Young Werner's Parting Song" "Carnival Of Venice" (Clarke) "The Volunteer"
Del Staigers	1926-1934	Principal Cornet Soloist	"Carnival Of Venice"(Staigers) "Napoli" (Bellestedt) "The Lost Chord" "A Soldiers Dream"(Rogers) "Twilight Dreams"(Clarke) "The Student's Sweetheart" "Inflamattus" "Hazel"(Staigers) "Facilita" (Hartmann) "Farewell"(Bellestedt) "Rock Of Ages" Aria from "Samson and Delilah" "A Kiss In The Dark" "International Fantasie"(Staigers) "Fantasie Brilliante"(Bellestedt) "The Volunteer"(Rogers) "Princess Alice"(Bellestedt) "Eili Eili" Aria "My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice" "La Mandolinata"(Bellestedt) "Carnival of Venice"(Clarke) "The American Boy" "None But The Lonely Heart" "Fantasie Brilliante" (Clarke) "Young Werner's Parting Song" "At Dawning" "Care Selve"(Handel) "The Debutante"(Clarke) "Serenade"(Schubert) "Oh Promise Me" "Neptune's Court"(Clarke) "Berceuse" from "Jocelyn" (Godard) "Ruy Blas" (Mendelssohn) "Fantasy Caprice" (Bellestedt) Air Varie"(DeBeriot) Overture "Light Cavalry"(Suppe) Excerpts from "Madame Butterfly" "Fantasie Caprice Brilliante" "Tone Poem - Finlandia" "Centennial Fantasia"(Bellestedt) "Russian Fantasy"(Levy) "Fantasie Caprice"(Staigers)
Stewart Grow	1932	Cornet Soloist	"Unspecified Cornet Solo" (Thursday)"Unspecified Cornet Solo" (Friday)
Leona May Smith	1932	Cornet Soloist	"Unspecified Cornet Solo"(Thursday). "Unspecified Cornet Solo"(Friday). (Possibly Carnival of Venice by Del Staigers as Staigers is conducting.) "The Carnival of Venice" (Staigers)
J. Frank Elsass	1934-1940	Assistant Cornet Soloist	"Carnival of Venice"(Arban) "Tramp,Tramp,Tramp"(Goldman) Overture to "Sakuntala" "Thy Beaming Eyes" Aria from "Samson and Delilah" "Sans Souci" (Goldman) "None But The Lonely Heart" (Tchaikovsky) "Why"(Goldman) "La Mandolinata" "Habanara" from "Carmen" "Response"(Goldman) "Young Werner's Parting Song" "Fantasie" (Goldman) "Valse Lulle"(Rogers) Aria from "Carmen" "The Rosary" "A Soldier's Dream" "Aphrodite" Aria from "Mignon" "Finnish Folksong"
David C. Rosebrook	1935	Principal Cornet Soloist	Aria from "Samson and Delilah" "Facilita" (Hartmann) Caprice "Flight of Fancy" (Rosebrook) "Fantasie Caprice" (Rosebrook) "Carnival Of Venice"(Rosebrook) "Inflamattus" (Rossini) "The Mighty Pacific"(Clarke) "Serenade" (Schubert) "The Lost Chord" "Cornet Solo" (Rosebrook) Aria from "Carmen" "The Volunteer" (Rogers) "Merry Wives Of Windsor" "Fantasie on Enmet's Lullaby"
Pietro Capodiferro	1935	Cornet Soloist	"Unspecified Cornet Solo (Monday)""Unspecified Cornet Solo (Tuesday)"
Leonard B. Smith (Musician)	1936-1941	Principal Cornet Soloist	"Inflammatus" (Rossini) "Eili Eili" "Vignette"(Smith) "Sans Souci" (Goldman) "Scherzo"(Goldman) "Willow Echoes"(Simon) "Zelda" (Cope) "Napoli"(Bellestedt) "O Don Fatale" (Verdi) "Pacifica"(Smith) "Care Selve" (Handel) "Facilita" (Hartmann) Aria from "Samson and Delilah" (Saint - Saens) "A Song Of India"(Rimsky-Korsakov) "A Kiss In The Dark"(Herbert) "Ecstasy" (Smith) "Espanita" (Goldman) "Spanish Caprice"(Smith) "The Lost Chord" (Sullivan) "The Harp Of Tara"(Rogers) "Hayden Trumpet Concerto" "American Caprice"(Goldman) "Irish Fantasie"(Rogers) "None But The Lonely Heart" "Sounds From The Hudson"(Clarke) Aria from "Lucrezia Borgia" "Among The Stars"(Goldman) "Princess Alice" (Bellestedt) "Young Werner's Parting Song" "Voices Of Spring" Aria from "Don Carlos" (Verdi) "Irish Variations"(Rogers) "In The Twilight"(Goldman) "Caro Mio Ben"(Giordani)
George Fee	1936	Cornet Soloist	Overture to "Orpheus"
Leona May Smith	1940	Cornet Soloist	"Scherzo"(Goldman)
Del Staigers	1942	Principal Cornet Soloist	"Rock Of Ages" "The Lost Chord" "Fantasie"(Staigers) "Princess Alice" "None But The Lonely Heart" "Valse Caprice(Hazel)"(Staigers) "Scherzo"(Goldman) "Carnival Of Venice"(Staigers) "Eili Eili" "Stabat Mater" "The Student's Sweetheart"(Bellestedt) "Carnival Of Venice"(Benedict)
Raymond D. Crisara	1941-1942	Assistant Cornet Soloist	"Sans Souci" (Goldman)"Hayden Trumpet Concerto" "Willow Echoes"(Simon)"Young Werner's Parting Song" "American Caprice"(Goldman)"Response"(Goldman)"A Soldier's Dream"
James F. Burke (Musician)	1943-1974	Principal Cornet Soloist	"Carnival Of Venice" (Arban) "Response"(Goldman) "Introduction and Tarentella" (Goldman) * "Scherzo"(Goldman) "The Bugler"(Goldman) "The Volunteer"(Rogers) "Land Of The Free"(Rogers) "Concert Waltz"(Goldman) * "Hocus Polka"(Burke) "Danza Allegre"(Burke) "Amourette"(Burke) * "American Caprice"(Goldman) "Espanita"(Goldman) "Twilight Tune"(Burke) "The Magic Trumpet"(Burke) "Joneta"(Burke) "The Runaway Trumpet"(Burke) "The Harp Of Tara"(Rogers) "A Trumpeter's Lullaby"(Anderson) "Columbian Fantasy(War Song)"(Rogers) "A Soldiers Dream"(Rogers) "Jota" (Mendez) "Valse Lulle"(Rogers) "Twilight Dreams"(Clarke) "Concerto No. 1 for Cornet"(Williams) "Willow Echoes"(Simon) "Eili Eili" "Kiss Me Again"(Herbert) "Sans Souci"(Goldman) "Hayden Trumpet Concerto" 2nd. Mvmt (Andante) "A Kiss In The Dark"(Herbert) "Andante and Scherzo"(Barat) "Jolene Waltz" (Leidzen) "Napoli"(Bellestedt) "Killarney" "The Debutante"(Clarke) "Stars In A Velvety Sky"(Clarke) "O Don Fatale"(Verdi) "Inflammattus"(Rossini) "None But The Lonely Heart" "The Lost Chord"(Sullivan) "Vienna Dreams"(Sieczynski) "La Virgin de la Macarena"
Mel Broiles	1960-1964	Trumpet Soloist	"Demetrios"(Broiles) * "Cornucopia"(Broiles) * "Hummel Trumpet Concerto" "Mozart Trumpet Concerto" "Unspecified Trumpet Solo" Air From "Carmen"(Bizet) "Vernal Equinox"(Broiles) * "Divertimento Concerto for Trumpet 3rd Mvmt."(Blacher) *
Jack Holland	1965-1966	Trumpet Soloist	"Hayden Trumpet Concerto" "Unspecified Trumpet Solo" "Unspecified Trumpet Solo" "Unspecified Trumpet Solo"
Donald Benedetti	1967-1969	Trumpet Soloist	"Unspecified Trumpet Solo" (listed as cornetist) Excerpts from "The Merry Widow" and others
Kirby Jolly	1971-1973	Cornet Soloist	"Unspecified Cornet Solo"
Jack Laumer	1972-1974	Trumpet Soloist	"Unspecified Trumpet Solo"
Carol Abbe	1974	Cornet Soloist	"Unspecified Cornet Solo"
Sydney (Syd) Baker (Beckerman)	1971-1974	Assistant Cornet Soloist	"Unspecified Cornet Solo"
Sydney (Syd) Baker (Beckerman)	1975	Principal Cornet Soloist	"Sans Souci" (Goldman)
Frank Scimonelli	1976	Post Horn Soloist	"Post Horn Gallop"
Frank Hosticka	1976-2005	Principal Cornet Soloist	"Unspecified Cornet Solo" "The Bugler" "Caprice"(Code)
Vincent DiDea	1977-1980	Cornet Soloist	"Unspecified Cornet Solo"
Ralph Schwartz	1978	Trumpet Soloist	"Unspecified Trumpet Solo"
Douglas Hedwig	1980	Cornet Soloist	"Unspecified Cornet Solo"
Mel Broiles	1980	Trumpet Soloist	"Unspecified Trumpet Solo"

Cornet Trios, Quartets and Quintets

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".

Seasons	Cornet Trio/Quartet/Quintet	Examples Of Trios/Quartets/Quintets Performed In Concert
1921	Ernest Williams, C. Maurer & Jacob Hagar	"The Three Solitaires" (Herbert)
1926	Waino Kauppi, C. Maurer & Mr. Distel	"The Three Solitaires" (Herbert)
1927-1929	Del Staigers, C. Maurer & S(amuel?) Miller	"The Three Solitaires" (Herbert)
1930	Del Staigers, Oscar B. Short & George Fee	"The Three Solitaires"(Herbert)
1931	Del Staigers, Oscar B. Short & George Fee Del Staigers, Oscar B. Short & S(amuel?) Miller	"The Three Solitaires"(Herbert) "The Three Solitaires"(Herbert)
1932	Del Staigers, Oscar B. Short & Stewart Grow Del Staigers, Oscar B. Short, Mr. Lewis, Nicola Gallucci (Tenor Horn) & Max Wockenfus (Trombone)	"The Three Solitaires"(Herbert) "Die Meistersinger(Quintet)"(Wagner)
1933-1934	Del Staigers, Oscar B. Short & S. Miller Del Staigers, Oscar B. Short, J. Frank Elsass & S(amuel?) Miller Del Staigers, Oscar B. Short, Mr. Lewis, Nicola Gallucci (Tenor Horn) & Max Wockenfus (Trombone)	"The Three Solitaires"(Herbert) "The Trumpeters (Quartet)" (Leidzen) "Die Meistersinger(Quintet)"(Wagner)
1935	David Rosebrook, Pietro Capodiferro & J. Frank Elsass	"The Three Solitaires" (Herbert)
1936	Leonard B. Smith (Musician), J. Frank Elsass & George Fee	"The Three Solitaires" (Herbert)
1937-1940	Leonard B. Smith (Musician), J. Frank Elsass & John "Ned" Mahoney	"Air and Variations"(Handel) "The Three Solitaires" (Herbert) "Echo Waltz"(Goldman) "Echoes From The Catskills" (Rogers)
1941	Leonard B. Smith (Musician), Raymond D. Crisara & John "Ned" Mahoney	"Echo Waltz" (Goldman) "The Three Solitaires" (Herbert) "Air and Variations"(Handel)
1942	Del Staigers, Raymond D. Crisara & Mr. Jacobson	"Echo Waltz" (Goldman) "The Three Solitaires" "Exhaltation"(Goldman)
1950-1957	James F. Burke (Musician), John "Ned" Mahoney (likely) & unknown	"Bugler's Holiday"(Anderson) "Echo Waltz"(Goldman)
1958	James F. Burke (Musician), Robert Nagel & John "Ned" Mahoney	"Trumpets of Spain"(Nagel) *debut performance
1964	James F. Burke (Musician), Syd Baker & Donald Benedetti	"Bugler's Holiday"(Anderson)
1965	James F. Burke (Musician), Syd Baker & Kirby Jolly	"Echo Waltz" (Goldman)
1978	Frank Hosticka, Vincent DiDea & Douglas Hedwig	"Bugler's Holiday" (Anderson) "The Three Solitaires" (Herbert)

Cessation of operations

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. However, the committee declined their offer on May 22. Five days later, on May 27, the Goldman Band ceased operations, ending 87 years of service.

External links

• Goldman biography
• Music Associates of America article
• Edwin Franko Goldman collection at the University of Maryland. Retrieved 31 Jul 2013.
• Goldman Band Discography