Background

Clare E. Grundman (b. 1913 - d. 1996)

             Clare Grundman was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1913.  He earned his bachelor’s from Ohio State University in 1934, and taught for three years as an instrumental music teacher in Ohio and Kentucky.  He returned to Ohio State in 1936 to earn his masters degree.  During this time Grundman taught orchestration, bands, and woodwinds.  In World War II, Clare Grundman joined the Coast Guard as a chief musician.  The two teachers that Grundman credited for encouragement and techniques were Manley R. Whitcomb and Paul Hindemith.  Grundman studied under Hindemith at the Berkshire Music Center in New Lenox, Massachusetts.             

             Part of what makes Clare Grundman such an important name in concert band literature is the huge number of compositions he has produced.  In addition to the scores and arrangements for television, radio, ballet, Broadway musicals, and motion pictures, Grundman has composed over 70 pieces for the symphonic wind band.  Through his vast amount of works for concert bands of many levels, Grundman has earned a place among the top American composers of the 20^th Century.   His compositions are often based around folk and popular melodies.  His many Rhapsodies based on folk tunes include not only the famous 4 American Folk Rhapsodies, but folk tunes from England, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Scotland, and Japan.

            Perhaps equally important as his compositions are Clare Grundman’s arrangements.  He has been credited with bringing traditionally orchestral composers into the band world.  His arrangements of composers like Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, and Edward Elgar, have become extremely important works in the concert band literature.  Some of his most notable arrangements would be Bernstein’s Overture to “Candide”, and Slava!. 

            One of Clare Grundman's original band works, Kentucky 1800 is a setting of three American folk songs: The Promised Land, I'm Sad and I'm Lonely, and Cindy.  The tunes are set in a symphonic poem.  Grundman employs the natural beauty and lyric nature of the folk melodies without extreme variation.  The thematic material of the folk songs are used throughout the piece in transitions as well.  His use of color and texture create the emotion and feeling.  There is a wide dynamic range in the piece and careful attention to balance is needed at all times.  Kentucky 1800 was published in 1955.

These are traditional folk tunes used in Kentucky 1800.  Lyrics of old traditional songs often vary because they were passed down from generation to generation, often without being written down.