In 1947, jazz bandleader and clarinet player Benny Goodman asked the quintessential American composer Aaron Copland to write him a clarinet concerto. Copland responded with a two-movement work that showed off Goodman’s unparalleled technique and improvisation while blending the unique colors of jazz with the sounds of a classical orchestra. Copland described, “I had long been an admirer of Benny Goodman, and I thought that writing a concerto with him in mind would give me a fresh point of view.” Later, when recalling how the work came to be, Copland said that Goodman “assumed that since I was writing a work for him, I’d know more or less what he’d like to play. The decision to use jazz materials was mine, inspired, of course, by Goodman’s playing. Although I didn’t mention this to him, I was certain that he would approve. But, contrary to certain commentators, the jazz elements in the Clarinet Concerto have nothing to do with the ‘hot jazz’ improvisation for which Benny Goodman and his sextet were noted.”

As Copland described the Clarinet Concerto: “The first movement is simple in structure, based upon the usual A-B-A song form. The general character of this movement is lyric and expressive. The cadenza that follows provides the soloist with considerable opportunity to demonstrate his prowess, at the same time introducing fragments of the melodic material heard in the second movement. Some of this material represents an unconscious fusion of elements obviously related to North and South American popular music. The overall form of the final movement is that of a free rondo, with several side issues developed at some length. It ends with a fairly elaborate coda in C major.”

©Jennifer More, 2023