Gottschalk: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2; Escenas Campestres Cubanas; CA©lA¨bre Tarantelle

Fantastic Music

I had only heard the music of Louis Moreau Gottschalk over the radio but I was curious so when this collection of orchestral music came along I bought the disc, and what a fabulous collection it is.

The CD begins with Symphony No. 2 subtitled A' Montevideo which is more like a symphonic poem that a true symphony but it is a marvelous two movement melodious work that includes a bit from Yankee Doodle in the second movement. The next work - the Tarantelle for Piano and Orchestra - is a charming work that was restored (as most of the music on this disc is) from Gottschalk's manuscript.

The Escenas Campestres Cubanas (Cuban Country Scenes) is a one act opera that mixes serious art with popular tunes. This reconstruction lasts just over 13 minutes and is marvelously tuneful and well sung by the soloists. The Variations de concert is based on a march written by the Portuguese King Luis I. Following the statement of the theme come a series of brilliant variations for piano and orchestra with the march restated by the brass between each variation. The Ave Marie is a very different setting for a solo boy, harp, strings, horns, bassoons and clarinet; it struck me as something that could have been written much more recently that 1864 as an antidote to the more famous Gounod and Schubert settings.

The La Casa del Joven Enrique por Mehul overture was written by the very young Gottschalk when he was studying music in Paris (but was not allowed into the Paris Conservatory because he was an American). He later recast the music as a concerto for multiple pianos and orchestra in 1861but the concerto was not performed as it was far too vast and complicated. The manuscript was discovered in 2003 and given its premiere performance in 2006. The final work is the Symphony No. 1 "A Night in the Tropics" perhaps Gottschalk's most famous orchestral work. The symphony begins quietly, as if describing a tropics paradise, then the brass enters with a soaring melody that dominates the movement for a few bars before returning to the serenity of the opening. The second part is a marvelous dance with Afro-Cuban percussion that anyone would mistake for a 20th century work when it was written in 1859.

This is an invaluable disc for the scholarly restorations by Richard Rosenberg of Gottschalk's music and the wonderful performance given by the Hot Springs Festival Symphony Orchestra. One should not be fooled by the name of the ensemble: they are a first class orchestra and perform beautifully. The music is great fun is listen to and I highly recommended it.
April 4, 2008

Gottschalk Ascending

Simply put, this is one of the most beautiful albums of American classical music you will ever listen to. Louis Moreau Gottschalk and his music have for too long been brushed aside by snobs and the more or less intellectual as a 19th century relic, a prodigy ruined by his own popularity with audiences and women. But Richard Rosenberg has researched and reconstructed Gottschalk's complete works for orchestra for this album, revealing a gifted composer who was very aware of the musical currents around him, particularly those of the Afro-Cuban regions.

"Celebre Tarentelle" has appeared on several albums including the Naxos/Rosenberg "A Night in the Tropics," but this latest recording, from Gottschalk's original manuscript, is the best, alive with intricate and beguiling rythms. "Escenas Campestres Cubanas" is a glowing fragment of a Gottschalk opera, revealing the composer's sensitivity to the vocal element, brilliantly layering voice with orchestration. The other orchestral numbers on this album are equally interesting and listenable. "La nuit des tropiques" is repeated from the previous Naxos/Gottschalk album, but it's a fitting companion to the other selections.

The disk is accompanied by scholarly but readable (and concise) liner notes. Sound quality is terrific, and only gets better when the disk is played on sophisticated playback systems. But plenty of Gottschalk's musical coloring comes through perfectly on a car's CD system.

My only complaint is that there wasn't enough material for a double-sized album. But what's here will suffice till more Gottschalk manuscripts are recovered and restored, hopefully by musicians as sensitive as Richard Rosenberg. November 15, 2007

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