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Track(s) taken from CDA67536

Pensive 'Polka-rédowa', RO196 Op 68

composer
? 1862/3; published in Boston in 1864; under pseud. Seven Octaves

Philip Martin (piano)
Recording details: December 2004
All Saints' Church, East Finchley, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Martin Compton
Engineered by Julian Millard
Release date: September 2005
Total duration: 4 minutes 16 seconds
 

Reviews

‘Quite early in the 14-year period that covers these eight volumes the Dublin-born pianist matured into becoming the pre-eminent Gottschalk interpreter. He understands exactly his stylistic range, from the mellifluous Italianate melody of the salon to sheer virtuosity, but without any exaggeration’ (Gramophone)

‘These are sympathetic performances, glowingly recorded’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘Another neglected area of the 19th-century repertoire has been thoroughly explored and superbly championed by Martin’ (The Guardian)

‘Effective performance of this music requires striking a series of delicate balances: between the learned and the popular, between the progressive and the traditional, between the sensual and the self-conscious. And if you've been following this series, you'll know that no current Gottschalkian catches these special ambiguities more consistently than Philip Martin’ (International Record Review)

‘A beautifully produced disc that is impossible to play without smiling’ (The Times)

‘This is one of the great piano recordings of recent years. Not since the exquisitely chiseled, delicately nuanced playing of such past greats as Wilhelm Kempff, Stefan Askenase, and Walter Gieseking have I heard anything so hypnotically well performed. This release leaves no doubt that Martin is one of today's finest keyboard artists’ (Fanfare, USA)

‘Martin plays every piece with such conviction that value judgements on this music's qualities seem almost churlish … the recording itself is of the very highest standards with superb presence, as we expect from Hyperion’ (International Piano)
This is one of a number of Gottschalk pieces written on automatic pilot to feed the public appetite for polkas and waltzes, daintily charming but hardly inspired. A redowa is a lively Bohemian dance in 34 time, not dissimilar to a polka-mazurka. Gottschalk emphasizes the ‘pensive’ of the title with a tempo instruction of Andante con grazia, molto moderato. Not a polka to be danced to.

from notes by Jeremy Nicholas © 2005

Voici l’une des nombreuses pièces que Gottschalk écrivit machinalement pour rassasier le public, avide de polkas et de valses—celle-ci étant d’une grâce charmante, mais peu inspirée. Une redowa est une danse bohémienne enjouée à 34, qui ressemble à une polka-mazurka. Gottschalk renforce le «pensive» du titre par l’indication de tempo Andante con grazia, molto moderato. Ce n’est en rien une polka à danser.

extrait des notes rédigées par Jeremy Nicholas © 2005
Français: Hypérion

Dieses Stück gehört zu den nicht wenigen Werken Gottschalks, die im Schnellverfahren abgefertigt wurden, um den öffentlichen Appetit auf Polkas und Walzer zu stillen. Pensive ist niedlich und charmant, aber kaum ein Geniestreich. Eine Redowa ist ein lebhafter böhmischer Tanz im 34-tel Takt und ähnelt einer Polka-Mazurka. Gottschalk unterstreicht das „pensive“ [nachdenklich] im Titel mit der Tempobezeichnung Andante con grazia, molto moderato. Also keine Polka zum Tanzen.

aus dem Begleittext von Jeremy Nicholas © 2005
Deutsch: Elke Hockings

Other albums featuring this work

Gottschalk: The Complete Solo Piano Music
CDS44451/88CDs Boxed set (at a special price) — Download only
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