Classical Compositions Commissioned by Benny Goodman

The clarinetist and King of Swing Benny Goodman (19091986) is considered to be one of the leading 20th-century jazz soloists. Hardly known is that from the 1930s, after establishing himself as jazz musician, he also started to engage with classical repertoire, performing it on the stage as well as recording it. In 1938, Goodman placed his first order with a classical composer: Bela Bartk was commissioned for the piece Contrasts for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano. Several similar projects followed, containing commissions to famous composers like Darius Milhaud, Paul Hindemith, and Aaron Copland. What motivated Goodman to place those orders? What considerations figured into his choice of composers? How did they address the requirements and skills of their commissioner? How were those pieces, their performances and recordings by Goodman, as well as the performer himself as classical musician, perceived by the contemporary public? Most likely, Goodmans activities as commissioner have to be understood in the context of his efforts to also establish himself as performer of classical repertoire. However, a historical consciousness on Goodmans part to go down in music history should also be considered. The prominent names among the composers who delivered compositions to Goodman are eye-catching. Goodman clearly addressed persons who had already achieved certain fame. Further, it should be asked how those composers dealt with their not lesser known commissioner, an established jazz soloist, and how the designated performer, who legally secured for himself exclusive performing rights for the commissioned music for several years, might have influenced the compositional process. Based on a variety of material (correspondences, composing sketches, concert reviews, recordings), on one hand this project shall lead to new knowledge about a still almost unknown aspect in the career of an exceptional artist and the genesis of a most interesting spectrum of the 20th-century repertoire for solo clarinet. Research has yet to deal with Goodmans activities in the sphere of classical music, and with the music that was composed especially for him. On the other, for the first time this study also sheds light on instrumental performers as commissioners for new compositions, dealing with questions on the premises, motivations, and strategies from the musicians side, their self-concept, as well as the exchange and relations between composers and performers.

Classical Compositions Commissioned by Benny Goodman: Artistic Strategies, References, and Controversies By 1938, clarinetist Benny Goodman (1909-1986) represented the epitome of swing music and the American entertainment industry. Around the same time, he started intensively engaging with classical repertory (in the broadest sense), performing it on the stage and recording it. Additionally, he granted his first commission to a classical composer: Bela Bartk wrote the piece Contrasts for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano for Goodman and the violin virtuoso Joseph Szigeti. Several similar projects followed, containing commissions to Darius Milhaud, Paul Hindemith, and Aaron Copland. What were the reasons, strategies, and artistic conceptions underlying these on Goodman's side? How were creative, social, and legal positions between the performer-commissioner and the composer-contractor negotiated? How did this influence the musical result? This project, conducted by pricincipal investigator Elisabeth Reisinger, addressed these questions on the basis of a broad scope of sources: The Benny Goodman Papers at Yale University contain manuscript and printed scores of the compositions in question, letters, business papers, newspaper scraps, photos, etc. These were complemented by the examination of, for example, newspaper articles, concert programs, and audio recordings. Goodman's commitment as a commissioner was rooted in more than just artistic and creative interests. A strive for social prestige and some sort of historic awareness played a role as well. The music that was created in that context would forever be linked to his name. In that sense, it was crucial for Goodman's choice of composers that they already held a certain status in the business. Such projects were also attractive for them, not only because of Goodman's economic situation, from which one could hope for a high remuneration. His enormous popularity, especially among the younger population, would open a broad public and possibly new markets to their music. Through the "prism" of Goodman's example, the results of this project contribute to various fields, such as discussions on artistic identities, economics of music, the history of recorded sound, and the multifaceted intersections and interactions of musical genres in the U.S. in the first half of the twentieth century