Customer Reviews

Louis Moreau Gottschalk: Piano Music

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

New Orleans-born Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-1869) was America's first verifiable touring piano virtuoso; in his heyday he drew crowds like a rock star of today. And he was a composer of a raft of piano music as well, although in some current classical music circles it is looked down on just as that of his much-later successor, Scott Joplin. The reason for this is simple to understand: the music is based on vernacular forms and is immediately easy to understand and respond to. Plus, it swings. Can't have that!

This disc features a pianist I've long admired, the Filipina Cecile Licad. [A personal side-note: One of her Chopin-filled recitals was the last I was able to take my mother to before her death. My mother had been my first piano teacher, and Licad played a number of pieces Mother had taught me. We both knew she was dying and the music brought tears to our eyes again and again.] One wouldn't immediately think of Licad being attracted to this music, but she explains in the booklet that the Spanish influence still felt throughout the Philippines makes her to respond emotionally to the Latin-influenced [Creole] music of Gottschalk.

This disc contains much of the familiar music by Gottschalk (e.g., Le banjo; Bamboula; Le bananier) but also a fair amount that is less-heard (e.g. The Union, a paraphrase on the Star-Spangled Banner, Yankee Doodle, and Hail Columbia; Souvenir de Porto Rico; an arrangement of the 'Jota Aragonesa' familiar to us from pieces by Glinka and Albéniz, among others). 'Souvenirs de Andalousie' has that familiar bass line made familiar by Lecuona's still-popular 'Malagueña.' This program is all played with immaculate technique and suave musicality. Some pianists tend to play Gottschalk in a 'how-fast-can-I-play-it-and-impress-the-heck-out-of-you' style; not Licad: she's making real music here.

This is yet another winner from Naxos's triumphant American Classics series. Enthusiastically ecommended.

Review by Scott Morrison.

Ms. Licad's Gottchalk interpretations on her latest CD is a pioneering effort in presenting the essential Gottchalk. She could have opted for the "safe and traditional " molded from other previous interpretations. But on this CD, she has opened a whole new world about the possibilities of Gottchalk's music who typifies the wondrous cultural influences here in the United States. Her performance is riveting, exuberant, blazing,virtuosic and always with a keen individual musicality that manages to always pay homage to what is essentially Gottchalk's. That is a feat in itself. I highly recommend this CD which should be CD of the Year.
Noel

It may not be exactly what you're used to, but so what, open your ears. Cecile Licad actually makes some wonderful music where other pianists have barely warranted listening, let alone captivated me ("Bamboula" and "La savane") or made me envious ("Le Bango" and "Tremolo"). Great sound, great price -- get one for all your friends!

This is a very powerful performance by Licad, the first in a long
while. I had a chance to compare her recording with an earlier
recording of Gottschalk's piano works by another (relatively unknown)
pianist, and I must say that the latter recording pales miserably
in comparison to Licad's. Listening to Licad play in this recording,
I can't help but be reminded of Vladimir Horowitz's piano performances
during his heyday. Licad and Horowitz have very similar touch, intensity,

technical prowess and dynamic range. There are 16 piano works works in
this recording, and I must say that all are top caliber performances,
with the possible exception of track #9, Souvenirs de Porto Rico,
Marche de Gibaros, Op.31, where Licad seems to have missed a few
notes and desynchronized the rhythm in a few places. My favorites
are tracks #5 (Tremolo, Grande Etude de Concert), #7 (Manchega,
Etude de Concert), and track #14 (Tournament Galop); in the last
one, you can almost see and hear the horses galloping around the
race track. With the price ... this recording is a genuine steal. However, I am still
waiting to hear Licad play a Liszt, Brahms, Prokofoiev or Bartok,
where I believe we can really hear Horowitz come alive.

Since I have heard Alan Mandel and Philip Martin's Cd's on Gottschalk, I have sense of how his music is best played. Licad's interpretations are not there. The 'Banjo' is played way too fast (tempo of music is marked 'Moderato, with spirit')and hence the piece loses its charm, almost more sounding like a quasi-etude. Conversely, "La Bamboula" starts off fine, but she drags the middle section with the descending sixths, which should be played with the liveley reminiscent of the creole dance rythyms of New Orleans, which inspired this great work. Instead the piece becomes almost ballad-like not the composer's intention. "Tremolo" seems to be the most successful of her pieces. "La Gallina" another piece supposed to reflect a lively Cuban dance, is played much too slow, and when the piece is marked 'allegro'. "Souvinir of Puerto Rico" another Gottschalk masterpiece, is played without passion and force.
It's amazing how some people when rating cd's simply repeat a mantra they have heard from other music sources, and assume it's the truth. The most common is 'well since he or she plays slowly, they interpret the music better by showing a more emotional intellectual lyricism'. This fallacy is partly brought by music teachers who constanly assail those who play fast. Yes you can play too fast, but largely, piano music almost always sounds better played faster. I could go on with this, but I'll end it there. Unfortunately, Licad-undoubtedly a fine musician, undoubtedly doesn't capture the spirit of the music.
For the best interpretation's of Gottschalk, Alan Mandel's cd and Philip Martin's 6 cd's simply are the best.

June 7, 2003
This is a very powerful performance by Licad, the first in a long
while. I had a chance to compare her recording with an earlier
recording of Gottschalk's piano works by another (relatively unknown)
pianist, and I must say that the latter recording pales miserably
in comparison to Licad's. Listening to Licad play in this recording,
I can't help but be reminded of Vladimir Horowitz's piano performances
during his heyday. Licad and Horowitz have very similar touch, intensity,
technical prowess and dynamic range. There are 16 piano works works in
this recording, and I must say that all are top caliber performances,
with the possible exception of track #9, Souvenirs de Porto Rico,
Marche de Gibaros, Op.31, where Licad seems to have missed a few
notes and desynchronized the rhythm in a few places. My favorites
are tracks #5 (Tremolo, Grande Etude de Concert), #7 (Manchega,
Etude de Concert), and track #14 (Tournament Galop); in the last
one, you can almost see and hear the horses galloping around the
race track. With the price ... this recording is a genuine steal.
However, I am still waiting to hear Licad play a Liszt, Brahms,
Prokofoiev or Bartok, where I believe we can really hear Horowitz
come alive.

Licad's interpretation is absolutely inappropriate to Gottschalk's music. The figuration in Bamboula is way too stretched out, and Souvenir de Porto Rico, which is a march, she plays lyrically with a lot of rubato. I have no doubt she could do a fine job with other Romantic composers, but here she misses the dancelike character and the spirit of Gottschalk's Creole heritage. I recommend Amiram Rigai's Gottschalk recording instead. His playing is just as powerful, and he doesn't interrupt dance rhythms with inappropriate Chopin-esque rubato.

Even though the majority of the pieces on the CD American Classics/Louis Moreau Gottschalk/Piano Music with Cecile Licad are Caribbean/Spanish in theme, one should not spend the 4th of July without playing "The Union, Paraphrase de concert on the national airs Star Spangled Banner, Yankee Doodle, and Hail Columbia, Op. 48." Let the crowd on the mall in Washington ooh and ah over the 1812 Overture, but Cecile Licad playing Gottschalk is the way to celebrate the fourth. "Le banjo" is my favorite, but then I'm prejudiced, because I am a banjo player.

Cecile Licad's weaving and interweaving of colors and impressions in Gottschalk's music is just totally modern and highly virtuistic. Gottschalk is the Chopin for the Creoles and just like with interpreting Chopin, the liberty for expression is just almost limitless. This is Gottschalk interpretation for the 21st century. I'm not saying that it tries to stamp out the traditional views of his music, but however risky was Licad's direction in this, it pays off as a fresh vibrant work brought once again back to life.

Licad's reading is often not the preferred style for the one's who're satisfied with the Gottschalk sound over a hundred years ago. I believe that her reading is how Gottschalk himself would have played his music should he still be alive today.

As we know, Gottschalk music was way ahead of its time with jazz impressions even half a century to a century in advance.

I like Licad's Gottschalk. It's forward looking, progressive and playing for the ages.

This CD is the best way I know to understand how a composer/musician approaches art compared to a trained academic, or someone who has been told that the score rules. Ms.Licad plays with feeling and unique personality to make every piece her own. Gottschalk would be proud. As a musician, I know how boring it can be to play the same song the same way every night. Musical people who "think" music are naturally very creative. How horrible to stuff creativity into a straight jacket. The written notes are a jump off point and a crude one at that. Ms. Licad brings life and joy to the pieces. Yes there is surprise, pleasant surprise, gleeful surprise. She can change your point of view about all the "classical" music we've heard so many times the same way. How many ways Mozart must have played his own concertos! He would never have been boring and in a rut. Ms. Licad is world class and talented enough to play circles around a piece, hitting the bulls eye when necessary. Buy this CD, and anything else she has done.