Morton Gould

Cowboy Rhapsody

Cowboy Rhapsody was composed in 1940 by Morton Gould (1913-1996) during a period when he was actively shaping an American symphonic voice that drew on popular, folk, and regional idioms. Inspired by the imagery and mythos of the American West, the work blends original material with stylistic evocations of cowboy songs and open-range melodies such as "The Trail to Mexico," "Little Old Sod Shanty," "Home on the Range," and "Old Paint." COWBOY RHAPSODY received its premiere in 1940, performed by the NBC Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Artur Rodzinski, and quickly gained recognition as one of Gould's most engaging concert works. The later arrangement for band by David Bennett has helped introduce the piece to wind ensembles, preserving its sweeping gestures and cinematic flair. Premiering also in 1940 by the University of Michigan Band under William Revelli, the performance reportedly inspiring Gould to compose more for band and resulting in several famous contributions to the literature.