American jazz clarinetist and bandleader Benny Goodman—known as the “King of Swing”—appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on several occasions in the 1960s. He also recorded concertos by Weber and Nielsen with the ensemble under Jean Martinon and Morton Gould for RCA along with a very special Windy City–themed encore.
Benny Goodman in Nilesen and Weber
Benny Goodman playing with the Disneyland Band. (Photo: Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Playlist
Carl Maria von Weber: Overture to Oberon
Sir Georg Solti, conductor
Carl Maria von Weber: Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 73
Jean Martinon, conductor; Benny Goodman, clarinet
Carl Nielsen: Helios Overture, Op. 17
Jean Martinon, conductor
Carl Nielsen: Clarinet Concerto, Op. 57
Morton Gould, conductor; Benny Goodman, clarinet
Carl Maria von Weber: Invitation to the Dance, Op. 65 (arr. Hector Berlioz)
Fritz Reiner, conductor
Carl Maria von Weber: Clarinet Concerto No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op. 74
Jean Martinon, conductor; Benny Goodman, clarinet
Fred Fisher: Chicago (arr. Morton Gould)
Morton Gould, conductor; Benny Goodman, clarinet
