Grande Fantasia Triunfal Sobre o Hino Nacional Brasileiro

Title:
Grande Fantasia Triunfal Sobre o Hino Nacional Brasileiro

Description:
(Eugene List, piano) Grande Fantasia Triunfal Sobre o Hino Nacional Brasileiro by Louis Moreau GOTTSCHALK The First Great American Pianist Born in New Orleans in 1829, Louis Moreau Gottschalk grew up in a neighbourhood where he was exposed to the Creole music with its African-Caribbean rhythms and the melodious folk songs that would later become a characteristic ingredient of much of his own music In 1842 he left the United States and sailed to Europe, realizing that a classical training would be required to achieve his musical goals. While such professionalism in a 13-year old would normally be the result of the parents´ ambitions, it is clear from Gottschalk´s letters, that he himself was the driving force. In a letter to his mother, for example, he wrote that "I definitely expect that in two years or perhaps less I shall be earning a living on my own." In Europe, however, Gottschalk had a rather bumpy start, as the Conservatoire in Paris rejected his application. For this reason, Gottschalk had to study privately with Karl Hallé, Camille-Marie Stamaty and Pierre Malenden (the latter teaching composition). In the years to follow, despite the initial rejection by the musical establishment, he built a first career as a pianist virtuoso, prompting Frédéric Chopin to predict that Gottschalk would soon become one of the foremost pianists of the century. In 1853, Gottschalk returned to the United States, possibly trying to escape an environment that he regarded as being dominated by egotism and vanity. Re-adjusting to American culture seems to have been accompanied by some problems (and, typically for Gottschalk, by rather caustic criticism on his side, culminating in remarks such as "New Jersey is the poorest place in the world to give concerts, except Central Africa..."), and in the years to come he would travel extensively throughout the United States and Canada to earn a living. In 1854 he also spent an extensive period of time in Cuba, his musical interest gradually shifting towards Central and South America. In the 1860s, he had established himself again as a major figure in American musical life, partly as a result of tremendous hard work -- as is evident from his travel schedule which, at one point in 1862, included 85 concerts (all at different locations) in just four and a half months. What life under such pressure was like is best summed up by the following remark in Gottschalk´s diaries: "Arrived half past eight at the hotel, took in a hurry a cup of bad tea, and away to business. One herring for dinner! nine hours on the train! and, in spite of everything, five hundred persons who have paid that you may give them two hours of poesy, of passion, and of inspiration. I confess to you secretly that they certainly will be cheated this evening." In September 1865, his career took a sharp turn when Gottschalk had to leave the United States after a scandal about his relationship with a student at Oakland Female Seminary. Gottschalk left the country, embarking on what would become his last (and perhaps most successful) tour, during the course of which he travelled to Santiago de Chile, Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Rio de Janeiro (and many other less well-known locations). His concerts were tremendously successful all across South America and sometimes took the form of "monster concerts" involving up to 650 performers. Louis Moreau Gottschalk died Saturday, December 18, 1869, in Tijuca (Brazil), three weeks after collapsing during one his concerts, just when he had finished playing his sorrowful "Morte!!" and was about to begin moving on to the next piece.

Author:
manymanero

Tags:
Music, Gottschalk, Rio, de, Janeiro, Brasil, Hino, Nacional, Brasileiro,