Rubin Goldmark was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

, pianist

Pianist

A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...

, and educator. Although in his time he was an often performed American nationalist composer, his works are seldom played – instead he is known as the teacher of Aaron Copland

Aaron Copland

Aaron Copland was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later in his career a conductor of his own and other American music. He was instrumental in forging a distinctly American style of composition, and is often referred to as "the Dean of American Composers"...

 and George Gershwin

George Gershwin

George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...

. Rubin Goldmark is also the nephew of composer Karl Goldmark

Karl Goldmark

Karl Goldmark, also known originally as Károly Goldmark and later sometimes as Carl Goldmark; May 18, 1830, Keszthely – January 2, 1915, Vienna) was a Hungarian composer.- Life and career :...

.

Early Life

Rubin Goldmark was born in New York City in 1857. Goldmark completed his undergraduate studies at City College in New York. After completing his studies in the United States, Goldmark traveled to Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

 where he studied at the Vienna conservatory. At the Viennese conservatory he studied piano and composition, the former with Livonius, the latter with Johann Nepomuk Fuchs

Johann Nepomuk Fuchs

Johann Nepomuk Fuchs was an Austrian composer and conductor, and the brother of Robert Fuchs.Fuchs was born at Frauental, Styria. He worked as a conductor in Bratislava, Brno, Cologne, Hamburg, and Leipzig, before he became Kapellmeister of the Wiener Hofoper in 1880 and Vice Kapellmeister in 1894...

.

Return to The United States

After the conclusion of his studies in Vienna, Goldmark returned to United States. From 1891-93 taught piano and theory at the National Conservatory in New York City. While in New York, Goldmark also studied composition with Antonin Dvorak

Antonín Dvorák

Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...

 and Piano with Rafael Joseffy. Goldmark then moved to Colorado, where, from 1895-1901, he was the director of the Colorado Conservatory of Music.

Upon Goldmark's return to New York in 1902, he focused many of his energies on teaching. Over the 30-year period that Goldmark remained in New York he gave over five hundred lectures on music, music theory, and composition. That is not to say he ceased composing all together – while Goldmark's music lies out of the standard repertoire of the twenty first century, he was highly regarded by his contemporaries. He was also the founder and frequent speaker at “The Bohemians,” a New York musicians club.

Goldmark as a Teacher

While Goldmark began his career as a composer and pianist, he is best known for his work as a teacher. When not lecturing, or composing, however, Goldmark taught several private students. Famously, Goldmark taught a fifteen year-old Aaron Copland

Aaron Copland

Aaron Copland was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later in his career a conductor of his own and other American music. He was instrumental in forging a distinctly American style of composition, and is often referred to as "the Dean of American Composers"...

 and the young George Gershwin

George Gershwin

George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...

. Though Copland was often critical of Goldmark because he found him “too pedantic and academic,” the fact remains the Goldmark gave Copland a strong foundation which Copland would rely upon for the rest of his career (Howard, 252).

The young George Gershwin also turned to Goldmark during the composition of his piano Concerto. While his Rhapsody in Blue had been orchestrated by Ferde Grofe, he wished to orchestrate his piano Concerto himself, and sought the Goldmark's advice (Howard, 249). Goldmark's influence as a teacher extended beyond just Gershwin and Copland. In 1924, Goldmark became the Head of Composition at the recently opened Juilliard School of Music in New York City.

Important Works

Though seldom performed today, Goldmark's music was performed regularly during his lifetime. In fact, his Negro Rhapsody was among the most performed pieces in the 7 years following World War I. In 1910 he was also awarded the Paderewski Prize for Chamber Music. His other important works include Hiawatha, The Call of the Plains, and his Requiem. Goldmark's nationalism is clearly evident from many of the title's of his works – even the ambiguously title Requiem (perf. 1919) was inspired by Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...

's Gettysburg Address. Rubin Goldmark's other compositions include a string quartet

String quartet

A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...

, a piano trio

Trio

- Musical ensembles and forms :*Trio , three people performing music in some way*Piano trio *String trio *Trio *Clarinet-violin-piano trio...

, a violin

Violin

The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....

 sonata

Sonata

Sonata , in music, literally means a piece played as opposed to a cantata , a piece sung. The term, being vague, naturally evolved through the history of music, designating a variety of forms prior to the Classical era...

, several orchestral pieces, piano music, and songs

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