Morton Gould and the Golden Age of Piano Duos

Morton Gould is widely known as a conductor of many classical masterpieces, but in his time, the light classical music of the "Morton Gould Orchestra" was also broadly popular. In Showa-era Japan, the Gould Orchestra's music was routinely heard on radio and television. It was not high-brow classical music, but music that accompanied the daily lives of ordinary people. Gould distinguished himself early on in piano and composition, but it is particularly noteworthy that he formed a piano duo with Bert Shefter (1904-1999) from 1930 (age 17) to 1936 (age 23) and was actively engaged. This coincided precisely with the peak of the American piano duo boom. Although little known in Japan, dozens of piano duo teams emerged in America from the 1920s to the 1950s, including those who immigrated and entered from Europe. They fiercely competed in performance, composition, and arrangement, creating a unique golden age of piano duos in music history. Its rich fruits are comparable to those of modern France. There may be an opportunity to delve deeper into this topic in a future article.

Gould composed and arranged works for two pianos for his performances with Shefter. While some works, such as the two-piano arrangement of Chopin's Fantaisie-Imprompttu, are jointly credited to Gould and Shefter, this particular work is an original composition solely credited to Gould. "Rumbelero" is a portmanteau of Rumba and Bolero, bearing the subtitle "Cuban Dance." It is marked Allegro moderato, in 4/4 time, and C major. It follows an ABA three-part form and is dedicated to Lee and Rose Singer. A light melody rides on a typical Latin rhythm of 3-3-2, developing pleasantly and brilliantly. The middle section, which modulates to A major, has a romantic and stylish flavor. The writing is also polished, natural, and easy to play. Gould was only 21 when he published this work, yet his writing already exuded the ease and dignity of a seasoned master who had accumulated professional experience. At the same time, Gould's vigorous ambition to gain further fame and advance his career, using his duo with Shefter as a stepping stone, is also discernible. It is noteworthy that this work was written before Milhaud's Scaramouche (1937) and Arthur Benjamin's Jamaican Rumba (1938). In America at that time, the piano duo did not end as a shallow boom; it had become widespread, refined, and mature to the point where young talents were publishing such masterpieces. It is interesting that both Gould and Shefter later led orchestras bearing their own names and successfully ventured into Broadway musicals, television, and film music. They can be said to have been a rare and excellent duo with shared musical aspirations.