Hey guys,
we should donate some money to the (nonexistent) Gottschalk Foundation for the purose of starting a competition for pianists.
Louis Moreau Gottschalk was an American virtuoso pianist-composer of the 19th century. As a teen, he was infamously rejected from the Paris Conservatory. The director gave the excuse, "America is a land of railroads and automobiles, not musicians". However, Gottschalk overcame this prejudice and became a well-known virtuoso throughout Europe. Even the usually introverted Chopin praised him in person. Later, Gottschalk toured South America and the West Indies. He died in his 40s. He had lived the life of a true virtuoso, having the characteristics of Liszt and Thalberg: he was really a.. um.... a forbidden fruit eater.
Gottschalk's music shows European influence; his salon/concert music is filled with elegant passages. He also composed music influenced the people of his hometown of New Orleans. Many of his works were tributes to the Afircan-American culture's music. There are also lots of music inspired by the Creoles. After travelling to the West Indies, Gottschalk composed many fantasies based on Caribbean rhythms.
Some of Gottschalk's most popular pieces are "The Banjo", "The Dying Poet", and "The Last Hope". These are pieces in the American style. His more sophisticated pieces include operatic paraphrases and his brilliant, Chopinesque "Grand Scherzo".
Music Competiiton in honor of Louis Moreau GOTTSCHALK