Customer Reviews

Symphonie Romantique:

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Every once in a while, I like to buy a CD of a composer I'm not familiar with (and with NAXOS's low prices, why not?). When I got home and listened to this one, once wasn't enough. I listened twice through. This CD is real fun!!

In his day, Gottschalk was called "the Chopin of Creoles." Most of his writing was for the piano and this CD is generally short piano pieces arranged for orchestra. The music mixes strong folk melodies and New Orleans Creole inspired syncopation with the European Classical tradition- the result being a distinctly american divertimenti.

The music as a whole is very motif oriented with a touch of variation and some interesting arrangement twists. While and orchestral CD, the piano gets a lot of attention, giving us some nice interplay between the two.

The only complaint I have is that the CD was recorded at a music festival where professional musicians are playing side by side with selected 'pre-professionals.' I'm not a snob and normally it wouldn't bother me, but Gottschalk's unusual syncopation tends to be unprofessionally slopppy at times. Fortunately, any mistakes are in the supporting insturments. No star shall be subtracted because NAXOS has done such a great job giving us a quality CD at a good price.

The orchestral arrangements of Louis Moreau Gottschalk's piano works are long overdue. Like Moritz Moszkowski, Gottschalk's music is seldom heard. This recording should certainly help provide a higher profile to this romantic and wonderful composer.

The two versions of the Celebre Tarantelle are refreshingly lyrical to the ear and the melancholic "O! ma charmante" provides soleful contrast with its beautiful melody and orchestration.

The arrangements for orchestra are light and very pleasing. Once again, Bravo to NAXOS for bringing wonderful music to the fore at affordable prices.

This lovely collection of Gottschalk is nothing but pure fun, as well as a great introduction to this composer's music. Full of catchy rhythms and melodies, this music is undeniably American, but with a French Creole twist. Performances by Richard Rosenberg and the Hot Springs Music Festival are superb, giving Gottschalk's music a light and effortless quality that is full of charm. A circa-1850's piano lends a vintage sound to a number of the selections that is quite pleasing. A thoroughly enjoyable CD!

If all of the 11 cuts on the Naxos release of <Louis Moreau Gottschalk: A Night in the Tropics> (8.559036) are listed as "arr." or "orch." by thus and so, it is because Gottschalk wrote primarily for the piano. But as it is with Gershwin and Kern, the music sounds good in any arrangement; and I found this CD to be very delightful listening indeed.

The Hot Springs Music Festival under Richard Rosenberg gives us an hour of such short selections as "Celebre Tarantelle," "Tournament Galop," "Berceuse," and the title piece "Noche en los Tropicos." There is endless fascination in hearing how this composer (who died in 1869) was "the first to capture the syncopated music of South Louisiana and the Caribbean in enduring works that anticipate ragtime and jazz by half a century" [liner notes].

I received a thank you phone call from a Florida reader who was sent by one of my Amazon.com reviews to a CD of Gottschalk's music in the original piano versions and who found her first exposure to this composer a revelation. Perhaps this Naxos album will have a similar effect on many of you.

Note: the title on the CD album is not the same as that listed on this website. I find that recording companies have stopped giving definite names to their sets and you will find the titles on the spines and on the covers different in too many cases. Why?

this CD is one of the best in the "american classics" series i have heard. the playing is warm, playful and full of energy.

these delightful compositions for orchestra and piano seem almost timeless. again thanks to naxos for bringing this largely unknown composer's talent to a modern audience at a steal!

Upon listening to this CD I understand why Gottschalk is noted mainly for his piano compositions. I found the whole CD weak musically and the orchestration naïve. It seems as if these pieces are piano works that want to be orchestral compositions when they grow up.

I have several other CDs by this conductor, not sure of his credentials, who seems on a mission to champion the music of the unknown composers. While I applaud his work in bring the music of composers of color to the public's attention I must say that there are many more notable Black and Hispanic composers who deserve to have their music played before we go dipping into this well of musical obscurity.

I think that this conductor needs to ask himself something that many musicologist ask before wasting time on second rate composer: why is a composer's music not known in the first place?