Gottschalk in Paris

Synopsis

Early in April in the year 1845, a 15-year old American pianist named Louis Moreau Gottschalk performed at the Salle Pleyel in Paris. On the program was Chopin's Piano Concerto in E minor, and Chopin happened to be in the audience that day. Although already quite weak from the consumption that would eventually kill him, Chopin went backstage to congratulate the young American on his performance. What exactly Chopin said depends on whom you asked. Gottschalk's first biographer claims it was, "Very good, my child, let me shake your hand," while Gottschalk's sister insists it was, "I predict you will become the king of pianists!"

In 1845, Parisian society was curious about anything American after experiencing other exotic specimens from the New World, including P.T. Barnum's circus and George Catlin's paintings of Native American life. The New World was definitely "in."

Four years later, on today's date in 1849, Gottschalk returned to the Salle Pleyel, this time performing some of his own original compositions, including a work, entitled "Bamboula," after the name of a deep-voiced Afro-Caribbean drum. Gottschalk had been born in New Orleans, and was exposed from childhood to Cuban and Haitian rhythms and music. The Parisian audiences had never heard anything like it, and gave Gottschalk a standing ovation. Responding to demands for more of the same, Gottschalk wrote and performed a "Louisiana Quartet" of four original Creole-inspired piano pieces, works which anticipate by many decades both the rhythms and colors of American jazz.

Music Played in Today's Program

Frederic Chopin (1810 – 1849) Piano Concerto No. 1 Krystian Zimerman, piano; Polish Festival Orchestra DG 459 684

Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829 – 1869) Bamboula Alan Feinberg, piano Argo 444 457

On This Day

Births

• 1683 - German composer Johann David Heinichen, in Krüssuln;

• 1774 - Bohemian composer Jan Václav Tomášek (Johann Wenzel Tomaschek), in Skutec;

• 1897 - Norwegian composer Harald Saeverud, in Bergen;

Deaths

• 1790 - American statesman, scientist, amateur musician and composer Benjamin Franklin, age 84, in Philadelphia;

• 2002 - Canadian composer and conductor Srul Irving Glick, age 67, in Toronto;

Premieres

• 1918 - Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No. 4 and Two Sonatinas, Op. 54, in Petrograd, by the composer;

• 1941 - Edward Joseph Collins: ”Lament and Jig"for orchestra, by the Chicago Symphony, Frederick Stock conducting;

• 1964 - Rozsa: "Notturno Ungherese," by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy conducting;

• 1965 - Stravinsky: "Variations (Aldous Huxley in memoriam)" and "Introitus (T.S. Eliot in memoriam)" in Chicago, conducted by Robert Craft;

• 1998 - Libby Larsen: "Songs of Light and Love" (poems by May Sarton), in Philadelphia, by soprano Benita Valente and the Network for New Music;

• 2003 - Gubaidulina: " The Light of the End"for orchestra, by the Boston Symphony, with Kurt Masur conducting;

Others

• 1833 - American premiere of Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute" (sung in English), at the Park Theatre in New York City;

• 1849 - Gottschalk's formal début at the Salle Pleyel in Paris (He had had performed his first recital there on April 2, 1845, with Chopin in the audience); He performs some of his own compositions and is hailed as the first authentic composer of the New World;

• 1906 - On tour in San Francisco with the Metropolitan Opera touring company, the great Italian tenor Enrico Caruso sings a performace of Bizet's "Carmen" the day before the Great San Francisco Earthquake;