I was positively impressed by Gottschalk when I first heard him. At the time I though it sounded like some proto jazz (Souvenir de Porto Rico) but of course the blues element and feeling is lack. Still, I'm pretty sure this must be where Scott Joplin were coming from (in part).
Also, Gottschalk seem to have lived a colourful and not too virtuous life, which is always encouraging.
Hi Petter,
thank you for your statement.
After years of "research", I would discourage everyone to be of the opinion, that Gottschalk is "proto-jazz".
This bases on infos hard to discover, but existant, for example in the annotations Gottschalk's sister, Clara Peterson-Gottschalk, gave.
Because of the following:
She pointed out: "Why do they call by such a name ("ragtime") (wich is, by "lore", proto-jazz), simple syncopated elements of
SPANISH origin?"
Via which we can assume: The "jazzy" elements have a much older origin tha
n people would estimate, and they have already existed long before Gottschalk was born.
The most important "exotic" elements Gottschalk used in his works are elements derived from African music of the slaves, which is proved by dissertations ( e.g. : Amy Elizabeth Unruh, check it out, it should be easily findable), and moving Gottschalk into a "jazz" or "proto-jazz"-area, doesn't fit at all.
Additionally, there are factors, which
HAD made Gottschalk's music subject of oblivion, because, his music was overplayed, at first, after he had died, ( for example: in every silent / mute-film), and only some Americans had tried to revive it. (Which I will prove in another special thread in the future.)
There were some "old" Gottschalkians, too, who tried to "revive" him, but at first such people didn't get attention. There were only 3 people, who, after the beginning of the 20th century (or / and slightly before), had tried to revive his music, but it had needed time until TODAY. Today, he's gaining more and more DESERVED attention, as we can see on the ".fr" - website, on many pieces on YT, and on IMSLP.
He didn't want to be "popular" and "classic" music to be separated, but after his death, e.e. Irving Berlin and Whiteman took over his position, people (like Morton) arranged - not to his best - works of him, and the true nature of his music had sunk into mist.
But since many guys of the sources I mentioned have tried successfully NOW to bring him back into the marvellous, special position he bleongs to, I'm posititively looking, like the ancient Roman "auspices", into the future!!!
Another topic of interest is the influence Gottschalk may have had via (nonsense. JOPLIN's) piano-teacher (who is now known by name ) to the works of Joplin. But as I said, I will point all those things in another single thread about Gottschalk later.
"Pasquinade", for example, isn't a "proto-ragtime-piece", but a concert-piece worthy to listen to in recitals. And NOT as an "encore" !! ( Sousa had made an arrangement of it, too, which can be heard on YT, but moving Gottschalk into the "Sousa"-corner is very bad, too, I think. )
But, in every case, and, nevertheless: MANY thanks to you for your answer!!

Very cordially, 8_octaves!