Gould << goold >>, Morton (1913-1996), was an American composer. Much of his music concerns American subjects and emphasizes blues, jazz, and folk music. These elements appear in his orchestral composition Stringmusic (1994). Gould won the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for this work.
Gould included elements of jazz in Chorale and Fugue in Jazz (1934), his first large work for orchestra, and in Boogie-Woogie Etude (1943), a piano composition. His interest in American themes appears in several works, including Spirituals for String Choir and Orchestra (1941), American Salute (1943), and the ballet score Fall River Legend (1948). Gould based American Salute on the folk song “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.” Gould displayed his talent for creating colorful instrumental sounds in Homespun Overture (1938) for banjo and orchestra; Latin American Symphonette (1941); and Venice (1967) for double orchestra and brass band. He also wrote Of Time and the River (1946), a choral work; and the novelty piece Concerto for Tap Dancer and Orchestra (1952). In addition, Gould wrote more ambitious orchestral works, notably his Symphony No. 3 (1946-1947), which demonstrates an impressive handling of large-scale forms.
Gould tried to improve the quality of music available to student groups. He wrote Folk Suite (1941) for high school orchestras and Symphony for Band (1952) for the United States Military Academy band. Gould was born on Dec. 10, 1913, in New York City. He died on Feb. 21, 1996.
