Edward Gold

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[edit] Life

Edward Gold grew up in New York City, having been born in Brooklyn in 1936 and he had his early education in the New York City public school system. He later became a music major at CCNY which is now a part of the City University of New York and continued his studies at the Yale University School of Music where he earned his Masters degree after the acceptance of his thesis "Rhythm in the Music of Anton von Webern".

As was common in universities at the time (and, to some extent, still is!), Edward's music was in the style of the atonalists (mostly [Schoenberg].) but with a traditional structural style using atonal and twelve-tone techniques crossed with some [Stravinsky]. But he largely turned away from these styles after he left Yale.

His first composition teacher at Yale was Mel Powell (1923-98), a former jazz pianist who worked early on with Benny Goodman] but who had become an atonal electronic composer by that time. His second teacher was Hope Leroy Baumgartner (1891-1969); though a traditionalist, by this time he had experimented with atonal styles.

Mr. Gold played a multi-city recital tour of Mexico in 1963 through the auspices of the US State Department (Information Service). His last major recitals (1994) were on the Queen Elizabeth 2 ocean liner (1994). The occasion was a New Orleans-themed cruise and he played mostly music of [Louis Moreau Gottschalk] who was a native of that city.

In the 1970s, he participated in four L.P. recordings for Musical Heritage Society; two were as accompanist, "Romantic Cello Encores" with Albert Catell" (1971-MHS 1219) and "Music by Israeli Composers" (1973-MHS 1653/1654) which included his arrangement of the familiar song "Y'rushalayim" for tenor, cello and piano. He also played on two solo recordings of music of Gottschalk (1973- MHS 1629); and J.L. Dussek (1974-MHS1966).

As a composer, Edward Gold is extremely eclectic even if, in the long run, his music has a style of its own. It is generally for orchestra, piano, chamber ensemble or various vocalists with or without accompaniment. He is a member of the tonality-based Delian Society but, like many of its other members, he makes the occasional foray into a structurally-based atonal style. He has written annually for the Delian Suite collaborations since 2005.

Several of his original works have been recorded by the vocalist, David Warin Solomons including last year's Delian Suite: "The Ghostly Friars" Glee based on the poem of Thomas L. Peacock.

Mr. Gold has also sequenced music of Schumann, Brahms, Liszt, Delius and, most notably, Elgar including the famous Enigma Variations, the two Overtures, the two completed Symphonies and the Violin Concerto.

[edit] External Websites

Edward Gold's website