SKU: GI.G-10597
Memoirs of a Virtuoso
Timpanist in the
Orchestra's Golden
Age. Composed by Saul
Goodman. Music Education.
134 pages. GIA
Publications #10597.
Published by GIA
Publications
(GI.G-10597).
ISBN
9781574635409.
At
19 years old, Saul
Goodman became timpanist
with the New York
Philharmonic Orchestra
under renowned conductor
Arturo Toscanini.
Forty-six years later, he
retired as one of the
most celebrated
orchestral musicians of
all time. During his
illustrious career as
composer, inventor, and
timpanist, he performed
on over 1,000 recordings,
placed his students in
the world’s major
symphony orchestras, and
set standards in
percussion performance
and pedagogy that remain
in place to this day. His
memoirs, and those of his
students, trace his
musical development and
take the reader on a
voyage of his unique
experiences during the
greatest era of the
American symphony
orchestras. His
incredible legacy as a
performer and a teacher
is unrivaled in the
history of percussion,
and perhaps any other
instrument as well. The
list of his students
reads like a
‘who’s
who’ of our world.
—Daniel Druckman,
New York Philharmonic He
was one of the greatest
artists of all times. He
was an inspiration to me,
not only as a student,
but throughout my
professional career.
—Vic Firth, Boston
Symphony Orchestra Saul
often said that his
teachers were Toscanini,
Monteux, Reiner,
Stokowski, and Bruno
Walter. He was the
greatest player in the
era of stars throughout
the symphonic world. The
sheer numbers of
concerts, recordings, and
TV that he played is
staggering.
—Morris Lang, New
York Philharmonic Saul
Goodman was a brilliant
orchestral musician who
just happened to play the
timpani. His style,
musicianship and strong
personality were a
tremendous influence on
those with whom he
worked. —James
Rago, Louisville
Orchestra Review from
Percussive Notes Magazine
This treasure of a book
tells the story from the
man himself: Saul
Goodman, one of the most
celebrated orchestral
musicians, timpanists,
and percussion teachers
to ever live. Through a
combination of
Goodman’s own
writing, as well as
contributions from a
variety of others who
knew, studied, and worked
with him, this 106-page
book is informative for
students and enjoyable
for general music
enthusiasts. The book is
constructed in two parts
— the first being
a previously unpublished
memoir written by Goodman
during his lifetime (he
died in 1996) and edited
by Anthony Cirone, and
the second consisting of
reflections from students
and colleagues, an
interview with Goodman
conducted by Rick
Mattingly in 1981, a
Percussive Notes article
published shortly after
this death, and an
overview of his recording
history. The book also
contains several pages of
pictures from throughout
his career. The first
part, written by Goodman,
contains five chapters:
Beginnings, Carnegie
Hall, The Business of
Modern Orchestra,
Toscanini, and On
Recording. While he
discusses many
percussion-specific
things, such as lessons
with Alfred Friese,
Goodman spends just as
much, if not more, time
talking about the general
orchestral culture of the
time and how it evolved
during his 46 years in
the New York
Philharmonic. This
includes reflections on
conductors, management,
recording, and the
audition process. The
second part proves just
as valuable, with
first-hand stories from
those who knew him. These
range from
acknowledgments of
Goodman’s
excellence in performing
and instruments making to
heartfelt and sometimes
humorous anecdotes
relating to his teaching.
This book will
undoubtedly be
appreciated by all
orchestral percussion and
classical music
performers, students,
conductors, and teachers,
as well as the general
concert-going public. It
is a rare first-hand look
into the life and career
of a world-class artist
and teacher. —
Jason Baker Percussive
Notes, February 2022.