Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-1869) : Varia

[8_octaves]

Hi all,

since I have spotted that there are Gottschalk-fans among us, I have started this thread, in which various topics and questions related to the mentioned composer, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, can be discussed.-

I'll start with a question I cannot answer properly:

@Visitor: I think, you are a marvellous Gottschalkian! And you asked, in the Repertoire-section, for Gottschalk's connection to Portugal, and you added the "Chant Du Martyr" as video:

Thank you! I love al, your posts of Gottschalk and I must go back and study them more

I have unrelated question. I am familiar w his life including early childhood how he eventually ends up,I France after at first not succeeding in going the his. Trriumphant return as an American trained in France and his Rick star career ( indeed many do not know how incredible his tour was, he was probably the most high volume traveling concert pianist and he played in many small remote venues that others ignored).

I follow him to the tropics then eventually to SouthAmerica
However I am trying to make Portugal fit. How does it fit? Did he spend much time there or was influenced perhaps travel there while he studies in France?

This work is mentioned in the book Portuguese Piano Music (2013) [by Nancy Lee Harper]
 The listing just tied him to the period in19th century but I try to figure out why include him in a Portuguese piano music book

Any relation? It mentions oops criollos and le Poete mourant
Thanks  

And I'll answer the following way:

Hi visitor!

I appreciate very much that you are a MARVELLOUS Gottschalkian, it seems!

But being not too accustomed (since I'm German) to colloquial English, I can only try to answer your question as far as I can, here.

At first: The "Chant Du Martyr" is also known as "Grand Caprice religieuse", or even as "Poliuto" (which is a very very rare name of it, but can be found in the OPAC of the "Biblioteca Digital Hispanica". Check it out! )

Furthermore, Gottschalk composed one of my absolute favourite, mindblasting pieces, the "variations on the (must be a former) Portuguese National Anthem", which can be heard here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISplbgqvb7k

and seen here:

https://imslp.org/wiki/Variations_de_concert_sur_l%E2%80%99hymne_portugais,_Op.91_%28Gottschalk,_Louis_Moreau%29

About special concerts given in Potugal (or visits there, @visitor,   ) , my book-sources don't tell too much. Maybe I have to check the "Notes of a pianist" thoroughly.  

___

You are right in other points, too!! Gottschalk was known as a "itinerant" pianist. He was pupil of Stamaty, as was Saint-Saens, too, but in the USA he travelled, e.g., more than 80000 miles, through dangerous areas, via trains, which were attacked by indians or gangsters, he had two special chickering-grands, which he called "mastodons", but which aren't existing today anymore, since they might have sunk in a ship-accident into the ocean, but he was in Europe, too, Switzerland, Spain, France, (in France he had debutated), but you are awfully right: To "Portugal" itself, my sources don't say too much. But there are strong connections to Brazil, a country to which Gottschalk had travelled too, concerning the "Variations on the Portuguese National Anthem".

If you are interested, I will look it up in my book "Bamboula!", by S. Frederick Starr, but many of the connections referring to Gottschalk are difficult and obscure, so it may take a longer time!

But I'm happy, that I found people here, to whom Gottschalk isn't unknown, and isn't unwelcome!!

I hope I could help for a first step, here, and..please let me know about further questions / wishes!

Very cordially, 8_octaves!!!

[cbreemer]

I too am a Gottschalk fan. It seems that he produced piano pieces like a banana tree produced bananas (to paraphrase what Saint-Saens said about himself). Dover Publications' big anthology has given me countless hours of pleasure, even though I've not by far tried everything that is in it. My favorite is the "Union Paraphrase", a deliciously bombastic pastiche on some great American tunes. Gottschalk was probably one of the most colorful and flamboyant persons in the history of composer/pianists. Someone should make a movie about him - or is that already done ? Though he was surprisingly harsh about Liszt I think they'd have gotten on great together. Or him and Berlioz, that would have been a right pair
I'll need to check out that Portuguese piece, thanks for the tip !

[8_octaves]

I too am a Gottschalk fan. It seems that he produced piano pieces like a banana tree produced bananas (to paraphrase what Saint-Saens said about himself). Dover Publications' big anthology has given me countless hours of pleasure, even though I've not by far tried everything that is in it. My favorite is the "Union Paraphrase", a deliciously bombastic pastiche on some great American tunes. Gottschalk was probably one of the most colorful and flamboyant persons in the history of composer/pianists. Someone should make a movie about him - or is that already done ? Though he was surprisingly harsh about Liszt I think they'd have gotten on great together. Or him and Berlioz, that would have been a right pair
I'll need to check out that Portuguese piece, thanks for the tip !

Hi cbreemer!!

Thank you very much for your statements!!

Yes, there's a film about him, and in it, there, by a sympathetic duo, some 4 hd pieces are played. The name of the film ( in German ) is: "Tod in Rio" / English would be: "Death in Rio", which refers to Tijuca, which is the place (or: a small settlement, then ), where Gottschalk died. I have seen the movie, because, when I was not at home some years ago, one of my friends had recorded it on VHS tape and gave the recording to me. )

"Union" is a super piece, too, note pls that it's played with much feeling on the Eugene List ( and friends ) double-CD " A Gottschalk Festival", where List, a distinguished Gottschalk-specialist, plays the part of the USA-Anthem with the chords each as grace note and then the chord! Marvellous!

Referring to "American" music, check out "Columbia, Caprice americain", too, e.g. on YT, but it's very very difficult. Hellish!

Gottschalk / Liszt: Gottschalk said once: "There are many pianists, who haven't inherited much of Liszt, unless his long hair ( but not his talent)."  

So, he knew Liszt was good, but Gottschalk, as sources say, long time didn't like Liszt's behaviour at the piano. But pls note: LATER, when the end of Gottschalk's life came, he wasn't too deprecative anymore.

And: Nice to hear, that there are FURTHER Gottschalk-fans, @cbreemer!!  

Very cordially, 8_octaves!

[8_octaves]

Hi all!

To the "Gottschalk / Portugal"- question:

I've searched for hints of Gottschalk having been in Portugal, but I found this, in Starr's book "Bamboula":

[...]At Tarbes Moreau performed at the Church of Saint-Jean and at the hall of the local philharmonic society. The party moved on via Bayonne to Biarritz, Gottschalk's last stop in France. By now, nearly every story in the press apologized for the brevity of the composer's visit, explaining that he was eagerly  awaited in both Spain and Portugal.

This was a typical piece of hyperbole by Gouffier. In fact, there is not the slightest evidence that the touring American was eagerly awaited in either country, or that anyone besides a few bureaucrats at the Spanish court had any idea he was coming. In the end, it took three months before the first major concert hall in Madrid was opened to Gottschalk, and he had to abandon all hope of touring to Portugal. On the other side of the ledger, Moreau was received so warmly in Spain that he stayed there fully two years.[...]
Moreau carefully studied Spain's popular music and incorporated it into a score of works composed during these two years and afterwards.[...]

Seems he has omitted Portugal on his journeys, @visitor! 

Cordially, 8_octaves!

[visitor]

I thought as much. It seemed odd, I have read up quite a bit on Mr LM, as he is one of my most favorited composer/pianists and he had such a colorful life (and his ties to Teresa Carreņo who's music I love- .), etc.
He was such a generous man, such incredible wealth that came and went through his fingers and for him to die in such humble circumstances, was a sad conclusion.

[8_octaves]

I thought as much. It seemed odd, I have read up quite a bit on Mr LM, as he is one of my most favorited composer/pianists and he had such a colorful life (and his ties to Teresa Carreņo who's music I love- .), etc.
He was such a generous man, such incredible wealth that came and went through his fingers and for him to die in such humble circumstances, was a sad conclusion.

Hi Visitor + all!

Yes. And even after his death very nasty activities were to occur! I will give a further quotation of some incidents I will call "Showdown in Rio"! Maybe some of you will find it interesting. Here it is:

[...]The difficulties began the moment Brazilian courts tried to untangle the composer's debts.
In order to repay Gottschalk's many creditors, the acting American consul, Mr. Henry W. Milford, had tried to assemble all his possessions. To do this, he called on the help of Gottschalk's former secretary and valet, Firmin Moras. Milford, who was desperately ill at the time, wanted only to settle the matter as quickly as possible.

He was ready to accept at face value Moras's assurance that Gottschalk's worldly effects consisted only of

"clothing, twenty-three bound volumes, a quantity of pamphlets and music, one album, several trifling articles of gold and silver, and three pianos."

Nor did he question Moras when the latter assured him he had turned over these objects to the court.
__

Moras, however, had duped Milford, and with good reason.
Gottschalk, it turned out, had failed to pay his valet's ( = Moras's ) salary for 1869.
On his deathbed he had dictated a will, witnessed by Gottschalk's doctor and an unknown but suspiciously named "Mr. Moreau", leaving Moras what was owed him and also a further two years of salary as a kind of severance pay.

Moras, however, was convinced that Gottschalk's cash-hungry sisters would cheat him of these payments, and he therefore held back from the court many of the jewels and medals that had been bestowed on the virtuoso.

While promising Milford he would deliver them to Gottschalk's sisters in Europe ( ), he intended actually to hold onto them until he was paid. Among these treasures was a bejeweled sixteen-ounce medal of solid gold awarded him by citizens of New Orleans in 1853.

While this was taking place at the American consulate, Gottschalk's friend Henri Prealle reported on the composer's death to sisters Clara and Celestine, as well as to Gottschalk's executor, businessman Charles Vezin ( = "Fast (-Living) - Charlie") of Philadelphia.

Both Vezin and the sisters assumed that Gottschalk had left behind a considerable estate.
Vezin had in his possession a signed will made by Gottschalk in 1855 which enumerated an impressive list of jewels already in hand at that time.

Moreau had supported Clara and her five siblings in good style for seventeen years, and they, too, blithely assumed he had died rich, which was definitely not the case.

To complicate matters further, Gottschalk left his sisters no information about Vezin's role as an executor. Thus, within months of Gottschalk's death, two competing powers of attorney were en route to Rio.

Now the good-hearted Prealle gave the valet ( = Moras ) money to go to London to plead his case with the sisters. Checking into the posh Charing Cross Hotel, Moras scandalized Clara by demanding not only his pay but her power of attorney. When she refused to give either, he sailed back to Rio and instituted a suit against Vezin and the estate.

Meanwhile, however, nearly all the property had been sold at auction by the Orphans (probate) Court on March 26, 1870.

Gottschalk's manuscripts suffered a similar fate. The 23 volumes of music and other papers had been purchased at auction by the Rio publishing house of Narciso, Arthur Napoleao & Cia. The firm had  every intention of capitalizin on their publication, which was to be supervised by pianist Arthur Napoleao, the proprietor.

What Arthur Napoleao did not know, is, that Gottschalk had designated the Cuban composer and pianist Nicolas Ruiz Espadero as his literary executor. To make matters worse, neither Napoleao nor Espadero was aware that Gottschalk was under exclusive contract with the New York firm of William Hall & Son, which now believed it owned all his unpublished works and took steps to claim them.
By now these claims, the powers of attorney from Clara Gottschalk and Vezin, and lawyers representing Firmin Moras were all present in Rio.

In the midst of this mounting chaos, the United States Government entered the case.
Back in December 1869 Henri Prealle had dutifully written Gottschalk's first cousin, Congressman Leonard Myers of Philadelphia, to inform him of the composer's death. When Myers learned of the various claims being advanced, he immediately wrote Secretary of State Hamilton Fish to ask him to intervene.

Fish, not knowing that Gottschalk's possessions had already been sold and that Firmin had absconded with the remaining jewels, ordered the U.S. consul in Rio to take steps to have all property returned to the family.

Now the action shifted back to Firmin Moras and Vezin.
Confident that Vezin was holding back and aware that the Philadelphia will was about to be probated, Firmin wrote Vezin an abusive and threatening letter setting a deadline for payment in full. Then he set his terms:

"If after three months the money has not been paid me, the body will be seized for the whole amount that the will states, and this will be published in all the newspapers of the United States, Europe and Rio, along with the copy of the (deathbed)-will."

Like blackmailers everywhere, Moras claimed he wanted to avoid a scandal. But he could not let Vezin forget that he had been treated "like a dog". And hence he repeated his demand:

"For the family's honor, send the money as soon as possible because if by some misfortune it does not arrive in three months the body will be seized."

Vezin failed to meet the deadline. Moras, however, had not succeeded in capturing Gottschalk's coffin from the Sao Joao Baptista Cemetery. Having played every card in his hand, the valet therefore absconded with nearly all of the remaining jewels and medals. No one connected with Gottschalk ever saw him or the medals again.[...]

____________

Now look this, please, @all:

https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/03/a-brooklyn-mystery-solved-vandals-did-it-in-1959/?_r=0

And I kindly would ask the question:
CANNOT even in death this accomplished man and composer find rest???

Very cordially, 8_octaves!