New Orleans native Louis Moreau Gottschalk (18291969) was the first important American composer and pianist. The son of a Jewish business man and a Creole mother, Gottschalk was urbane and cosmopolitan is a way not typical for the period. He composed and played on a Chickering piano as big as a house and heavy as a battleship with a showman's personality to match. He forged his reputation by fusing the European classical tradition with American musical elements like folk music, the music of slavery and the music of the Caribbean and Latin America. Owing his considerable musical vision to Chopin, who Gottschalk met while in Paris seeking education, his musical contributions went on to give rise to ragtime, the Harlem stride piano and the developing American classical tradition. Gottschalk co be argued as the American Liszt with his perchance for interpolating popular themes into his compositions.
Steven Mayer is an American pianist who has recorded widely for Naxos records, producing, most notably, Charles IvesPiano Sonata No. 2 "Concord" (2004) and Art TatumImprovisations (2005). He is a Liszt expert, sporting the flair and aplomb of that composer. Mayer brings that same fire to this intelligently assembled recital of Gottschalk's better known pieces.
Included here are "Le Banjo" in which Gottchalk peppers with "Camptown Races" and "Yankee Doodle," his most famous parlor tune, "The Last Hope" (absent here is "The Dying Poet"), and his incredible "Pasquinade." New to the repertoire is Mayer's own piano transcription of Gottschalk's orchestral setting, "A Night in the Tropics." Hearing this piece in reduction, readily shows the sophisticated approach Gottschalk to composition in both his high and low art. This is a good introduction to Gottschalk before moving on to Philip Martin's complete edition on Hyperion.
Track Listing
Le Banjo – Fantaisie grotesque; The Last Hope – Meditation
relifieuse; Pasquinade – Caprice; Berceuse; Grande Fataisie
triomphale sur I’hymne national bresilien; Le songe d’une nuit d’ete;
Fantome de Bonheur; Reflets due passe – Reverie; La Nuit des
tropiques – Symphonie romantique.
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
We sent a confirmation message to . Look for it, then click the link to activate your account. If you don’t see the email in your inbox, check your spam, bulk or promotions folder.