| American composer and conductor,
known for works using themes from folk music, spirituals, and jazz. He was
born in Richmond Hill, N.Y. He worked as a radio pianist and directed a
radio program of light classics. His earlier works such as Spirituals (1941),
for orchestra, and the ballet score Fall River Legend (1948) are based on
clear harmonies and formal structures. His later works are more abstract
and complex. Venice (1967), written for double orchestra and bands, echoes
17th-century Venetian music in its contrapuntal techniques and divided orchestra.
His other works for orchestra include Burchfield Gallery (1981) and Housewarming
(1982). Gould composed the music for Broadway shows (Billion Dollar Baby,
1945; and Arms and the Girl, 1950), Hollywood films (Delightfully Dangerous,
1945; Cinerama Holiday, 1955; and Windjammer, 1958), and television productions
(Verdun, 1963; World War I, 1964-65; Holocaust, 1978; and Celebration, 1981).
He also wrote several concertos. His success as a conductor won him a Grammy
Award in 1966 for his recording of music by Charles Ives, made with the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra. As a conductor, Gould toured Australia (1979),
Mexico (1980), and Israel (1981). His work American Sing was commissioned
for the opening of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He received a
Kennedy Center Honors Award in 1994 for lifetime achievement in the performing
arts and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1995 for his Stringmusic suite. |