I watched Copeland conduct this concerto with my clarinet teacher, Ron DeKant as soloist, back in the early 70’s. I took a copy of the score with me to the concert but quickly abandoned that and just sat back, shut my eyes and immersed my myself in the music. The way Goodman plays the concerto was very much the way I was taught this piece. I have heard many different versions from wonderful clarinet players over the years but this recording will always be a classic for me. Such a beautiful concerto from one of America’s most gifted composers, played by such a great clarinetist and musician, Benny Goodman.
Mr DeKant was my teacher for 2 years in the 1990s... His part for this concerto was framed on the wall with "a very fine performance of my concerto, Aaron" written on it...
This is one of my all time favorites. It's 5:45 am on my porch in Northern Kentucky. I haven't listened to this in a while and am so glad to have found it this morning. What a beautiful morning with my coffee, God and this wonderful music. It is definitely better than watching or listening to 'the happenings' around the world.
It depends on the composition's character. You can't just play with vibratos in classic style or even romantic. It just spoils it. it simply destroys the music line and the character, forgive the redundancy
It depends also on different styles, I think. I have some German friends who play German Clarinets, and they told me the German Clarinet school usually does very little vibrato.
@@quanhoangclarinettist6225 Quite correct. And equally, in France, the vibrato is built into the sound of the instrument. Now we can all hear the difference and make informed choices
Goodman was asked to be a guest soloist by many symphony orchestras, but there were hardly any pieces in the classical repertoire which showcased clarinet. Benny wisely chose Copland to compose this piece. I am sure he was aware that AC was the first composer to incorporate jazz elements into "serious" music.
Benny Goodman playing of this slow opening movement in 1967 with Copland himself conducting is a great sound recording and Benny uses such a slight vibrato with such clear embouchure control that no supposedly more classically favoured players today in my opinion have matched this, nor his precise, best expression of what Copland wished in the faster tempo syncopation in the later movements .
I just heard this lovely first movement as background for a BBC reading of a lyrical Ray Bradbury short story. Brought me to tears - both the story snd this musical gem. While I find our country severely in need of help right now, I take some solace that this same nutty country can produce the likes of Aaron Copland and Benny Goodman.
Listening to this makes me cry. It is performed so brilliantly by Benny Goodman! It isn't performed absolutely perfectly but yet it is perfect in its imperfections! No one else really has put out a recording of this that I can really listen to. I feel like no one else has really internalized Benny's melodic sense, feeling, and timing. I really think in order to play this correctly you have to have jazz sensibilities! If you are a clarinet player, especially a classical clarinet player and you are thinking of performing this piece then please do your homework. Please refrain from scooping where Benny does not scoop. Please refrain from swinging where Benny does not swing. A good rule of thumb is if the "king of swing" is not swinging it then you DO NOT swing it! And most of all a jazz player has timing that a classical player just does not have intuitively! This is particularly useful in the cadenza.
It's quite well-done, your comment is imperfect. Remember something, if you're going to accuse someone of imperfect performance, it's very unjust and unkind to give no details about what you're referring to. Spell it out or keep it to yourself, please.
Jazzgent lol you jazz musicians think that you’re so much superior in your abilities to keep time than classical musicians and i don’t really understand why haha. we have to keep time just like everyone else does.
Goodman commissioned this as centerpiece for his 1948 world tour. Copeland originally wrote it for a 13 piece ensemble. This is maybe my favorite piece of music.
0:00 - 6:37 this part made me cry during my first days of college bcs it felt like i just closed a chapter of my life and i was pretty scared at the time Hearing this theme reminded my of my childhood back then i have nothing to worry about but then i hitted almost adulthood and i had to change this song made my cry bcs of the times i rememberd UPDATE: i am now in my last year of college and im not so super scared now now that i am realising its gotta end anyway so preventing it wouldnt help and yes there is a famous quote from it but you already know that one
I honestly understand what you went through. I sure hope your life is better now. Honest feelings and best of luck to you! Sanjosemike (no longer in Ca)
Hasn't been my favourite Solo Instrument till I hheard this Copland Clarinet Concerto very beautiful and atmospheric. Thank you AaronCopland and Benny |Goodman played with such finesse and obvious Love
I never tire of listening to this wonderful piece. For me the strings at 4:05 (particularly in this recording) are one of the great moments in music; but there is so much more, besides, to enjoy. Thanks for sharing!
I am not American but love Copland. So much feel. Some of my fellow countrymen have been somewhat disrespectful regarding this undoubted genius. I don't understand them, maybe it's jingoistic claptrap, who knows...who cares? Having said that I definitely hear hints of The Planet suite throughout all his works, just hints, nothing more. For me I believe it makes his music even more incredible. I am certain Holst would agree..
aaron copland is a genius of american music he captures the essence of many different areas with the artistry only a genius can his lincoln portrait is magnificent as well as others this too is sublime
Benny Goodman is indeed an acomplished musician. He is a gret jazzman clarunetis, burt served alos modern scores like Dattok's contrats or this concerto of Copland. This work is very beautiful. At h the beginning, the clarinet emerges slowly from the masss of strings. It is a delicious poetic moment.
For some reason I think of all the Greatest Generation dying quietly in the first three minutes, alone and far from their crowded hours, in warm quilted beds beneath yellow lamplight or perhaps in an easy chair. Their cataract eyes glaze and their papery hands flit across the armwrests. They remember, or perhaps forget, and they know. And they draw again, deep breaths, and they go the way we all will. I hope to join them one day.
And how many ever realized how very badly they were deceived and defrauded by FDR. Everything he ever did for 'The People' was to keep 'The People' from coming and hanging him and all of his kind. This is how the demented progeny of drug traffickers wind up in our culture (see also: Kennedy, Bush, et alia). He was a master manipulator who even managed to finesse Japan into an attack they REALLY did not want to make just to get us into the Second World War on the side of and to the full benefit an alternate psychopathic fascism (see: Bernard Baruch, zionism). Real history is VERY different from the American fantasy taught to our children and you...
Performed this piece with my college orchestra and the clarinet professor as the soloist, and I can safely say this is my favorite piece I’ve ever played. Totally incredible experience!
Listened when i was in Gordon Conwell's south Hamilton campus, MA. It reminded me the very good days with good friends and respectful professors. At any rate it brings me the old and good days!
Nice piece, the beginning has similar harmonies to the opening of Mahler’s 10th / 1st mov, also reminds me of Ravel piano concerto in G and some Stravinsky. Very american or what american used to be. Thank you for sharing.
Performed by the Clarinetist who commissioned the piece, and conducted by the composer. That doesn't necessarily have to add up to 'about as good / great as it gets, but here, it sure does.
I felt in love with clarinet after hearing Goodman's long play back in 1954 - from the film Goodmans story - I still practise today clarinet exercises from his clarinet method...
5:07 who else hears the ``edit`` here - I remember that *_blip_* from hearing this same recording in the `60s. Recordings were spliced together from various takes, but this was a sloppy bit of editing that I hear EVERY TIME! I didn`t realize how much of this was done until I read a book about Bernstein and they talked about doing MANY retakes after the recordings were ``finished``. Lots of things had to be re-done and spliced in, like in the movies where voiceovers have to be re-taken.
Yes, and one more thing. Vibrato! I would recommend that classical players do not use vibrato on this piece even though Benny did. The clarinet stands on its own quite well without vibrato. If you're a classical player chances are the vibrato is not intuitive for you either. Remember that vibrato is supposed to be a technique that enhances and beautifies and also decorates. If you are going to use it without thought and intuitiveness and you use it only as a requirement then it will not work. Once again this is where the feeling of the jazz player comes in. Thanks for listening.
Benny Goodman commissioned this piece for himself to play, and Copland would have been well aware of his use of vibrato. To all of those people who are listening to this with modern sensibilities, you don't get any more authentic than this interpretation - after all, if Goodman played differently, I suspect Copland would have written it differently. It is exquisite.
No tengo mucho para agregar, solo disfruté mucho de este concierto. Me gusta mucho Copland, su " quiet city" también ' our town" me parecen fabulosas obras.
Questo pezzo è semplicemente stupendo, bellissimo, ma io lo chiamerei musica classica. Forse che Benny Goodman era stato catturato e fatto prigioniero dal nemico e costretto a lavorare per la concorrenza? Comunque Bravissimo, bravissimo, bravissimo!!!!!!!!! Sono le ventuno e trenta.
The jazz and swing solos of Benny Goodman are more exciting and better music than any classical work. Benny seemed to value classical clarinet to the detriment of his best work. The zenith of American clarinet solo was Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw with a big band.
@@liamkramer2836 Lol, replying to a two year old comment. Since so many people want it, here; just have the link: mega.nz/#!TAJR3SzJ!KOncbPkt4Cq-XyIKu1XCjMfGR33E9r0hQw0IpYEAWwk I feel sorry for the other two that replied a year ago. I never saw the notification.
Wow, so totally wrong. It amazes me how people have to jump in and make fools of themselves. Don't you think the guy who posted this knows which recording he posted? But if you don't trust the guy, go and listen to the other recording, and then maybe, just maybe, you too will notice the differences, which are many.
