The Pre-Goodman Rag Cover Image

The Pre-Goodman Rag: Wind Band Score & Parts

$83.99 USD
$83.99 USD
Skip to product information
The Pre-Goodman Rag Cover Image
The Pre-Goodman Rag: Wind Band Score & Parts

The Pre-Goodman Rag: Wind Band Score & Parts

By Malcolm Arnold

Item: 12-0571564909
$83.99
Shipped

One moment…

Description
Malcolm Arnold's Clarinet Concerto No. 2, Op. 115, was dedicated to Benny Goodman, and first performed by him as part of the Red Rocks Music Festival with the Denver Symphony Orchestra conducted by Brian Priestman on 17 August 1974. The third movement, known affectionately as The Pre-Goodman Rag, is an outrageous ragtime parody with a hauntingly wistful middle section. The work has now been made more widely available in this transcription for wind band.

The Pre-Goodman Rag: Wind Band Score & Parts isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

Request This Title

Tell us you want it.

Start Your Free Trial

Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Pages

Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series: Faber Edition: Faber Wind Band Series
Publisher: Faber Music
ISBN10: 0-571-56490-9
ISBN13: 978-0-571-56490-3
UPC: 9780571564903
SKU: 12-0571564909
Instrumentation: Wind Band

More about this title

About the Composer: Malcolm Arnold

Malcolm Arnold (1921-2006) was a British composer of extraordinary versatility whose output spanned symphonies, concertos, ballets, and film scores. He won an Academy Award for his film score to "Bridge on the River Kwai" and composed over 150 works across every genre, yet remained deeply committed to accessible music for students and amateur musicians. His gift for orchestration and ear for popular idiom made him a bridge between classical tradition and the entertainment world.

Arn old's sense of humor is legendary among musicians. His willingness to parody, quote, and play with musical conventions never undermined the craftsmanship beneath the surface. The Pre-Goodman Rag exemplifies this duality: it's simultaneously a wink at American popular music and a genuinely moving piece of concert music.

Why we love this

Arnold's ragtime parody cuts straight to the heart of why we program music: the sheer fun of it. This arrangement delivers the irreverent charm of the original concerto movement to a full wind band, complete with that "wistful middle section" that prevents the piece from becoming a mere joke. Your players will love the style demands and the audience will remember it.

What to expect

Cheeky and charming, with a syncopated swagger that recalls American popular song and vaudeville. Beneath the ragtime jest lives a moment of genuine tenderness, a reminder that Arnold never lets style overshadow substance. The whole piece has the quality of a gifted composer winking at the audience while executing something genuinely beautiful.

Who it's for

Wind band directors seeking repertoire that entertains without compromising musicality, and students ready for a piece that demands stylistic sophistication alongside technical facility. The work rewards ensembles with strong reed sections and flexible soloists who can navigate the concerto-style writing.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the ragtime bounce carefully in the opening sections. The syncopation should lift without racing; Arnold's ragtime is sophisticated, not sloppy.
  • Shape the middle section as a genuine lyrical statement. The contrast from the outrageous outer sections to this "hauntingly wistful" material carries the emotional weight of the piece.
  • Clarify the ensemble texture in passages with competing rhythmic figures. Wind band transcriptions of solo concertos often need careful voicing so inner lines support rather than muddy the primary melody.
  • Let the concluding return to the ragtime theme feel like a knowing wink. The humor lands best when the execution is clean and confident.

How to use it

Program this as a lighter moment on a concert that also includes weightier contemporary or classical works. It pairs particularly well with other 20th-century pieces that blend humor and craft, and its relatively concise duration makes it ideal for a "masterwork showcase" concert. The piece rewards mature audiences who appreciate both musical sophistication and entertainmen t.

Skills your students will build

  • Stylistic clarity in ragtime idiom
  • Balance between syncopated ensemble figures and lyrical melody
  • Tonal control across extreme dynamic and emotional shifts
  • Awareness of parody and quotation as compositional technique

You May Also Like