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Track(s) taken from CDA67349

Marche funèbre, RO147 Op 61

composer
1853/4; published in New York in 1870; alternative catalogue number: RO149, Op 64; published in Paris in circa 1874

Philip Martin (piano)
Recording details: May 2002
All Saints' Church, East Finchley, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Martin Compton
Engineered by Julian Millard
Release date: January 2003
Total duration: 5 minutes 5 seconds
 

Reviews

‘Brilliant and technically awesome … Philip Martin is never less than an extremely able and charming guide to this curious repertoire’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘There is a poignant period flavour to this music, which Martin captures with the utmost sensibility’ (The Daily Telegraph)

‘It's impossible to listen to this disc and not beam with pleasure … real melodic charm, surprising harmonic progressions, and enough sensuality and humour to put a kick in the greyest of January days. The recorded sound is gorgeous’ (The Times)

‘Martin once again reveals his mastery of Gottschalk’s special brand of refined sensuality … for Gottschalk’s growing band of admirers, this is an essential purchase’ (Fanfare, USA)

‘Philip Martin has the technical resources to do [Gottschalk] justice with straight-faced ease’ (The Irish Times)

‘Finely played and beautifully recorded’ (Pianist)

‘Volume 6 maintains the same impressive standards set in Philip Martin’s five previous Gottschalk releases on Hyperion … If you’ve been collecting this series, don’t stop now. A delectable disc’ (Classics Today)

‘Philip Lane is perfectly suited to Gottschalk's music and his interpretations are well nigh unsurpassable. The recording is firm and very realist with a touch of brittleness at the top. In sum, this is another gorgeous piano music collection from the underrated American composer’ (Classical.net)
Gottschalk spent his formative years in Europe. He left his native New Orleans at the age of twelve in May 1841 and did not return to the United States until January 1853 when he was fêted as a celebrity. Yet, despite a healthy string of concerts, by the end of that year he was sixteen thousand dollars in debt, an unsuccessful tour of New England only adding to his financial plight. To add to his misery, in October his father died.

To commemorate this sad event he revised a Marche funèbre that he had written some years earlier (‘for a careful exposition of these two variant editions’, notes Starr, ‘see Doyle, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, D-90, D-90a, D-90b, D-90c’). The source of its inspiration is obvious, its key the predictable B flat minor, yet its powerful central (G minor) section and some surprising harmonic progressions make it an effective example of its type.

In December 1853, Gottschalk retreated to his birthplace and thence to Cuba where, for the next three years, he struggled to rebuild his life.

from notes by Jeremy Nicholas © 2003

Gottschalk passa ses années de formation en Europe. En mai 1841, à 12 ans, il quitta sa ville natale, La Nouvelle-Orléans, et ne retourna aux États-Unis qu’en janvier 1853 ; il y fut alors fêté comme une célébrité. Pourtant, en dépit d’une saine succession de concerts, il se retrouva avec seize mille dollars de dettes à la fin de l’année, et une tournée sans succès en Nouvelle-Angleterre ne fit qu’ajouter à ses soucis financiers. Pour comble de malheur, il perdit son père en octobre de la même année.

Pour commémorer ce triste événement, il révisa une Marche funèbre composée quelques années auparavant («pour un exposé détaillé de ces deux éditions différentes, note S. Frederick Starr, voir : Doyle, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, D-90, D-90a, D-90b, D-90c»). La source de son inspiration est évidente, sa tonalité, de manière prévisible, si bémol mineur, mais sa puissante section centrale (en sol mineur) et quelques progressions harmoniques surprenantes en font un représentant réussi de ce genre.

En décembre 1853, Gottschalk se réfugia dans sa ville d’origine avant de partir pour Cuba où il passa trois ans à lutter pour reconstruire sa vie.

extrait des notes rédigées par Jeremy Nicholas © 2003
Français: Josée Bégaud

Gottschalk verbrachte seine prägenden Jahre in Europa. Er verließ seine Heimatstadt New Orleans als Zwölfjähriger im Mai 1841 und kehrte erst im Januar 1853 als berühmte Persönlichkeit in die Vereinigten Staaten zurück. Jedoch hatte er am Ende dieses Jahres trotz einer guten Konzertreihe sechzehntausend Dollar Schulden, und eine erfolglose Tournee durch Neu England verstärkte seine finanzielle Misere weiterhin. Zu allem Unglück starb sein Vater im Oktober. Zum Gedenken an dieses traurige Ereignis überarbeitete er einen Marche funèbre, den er einige Jahre zuvor geschrieben hatte (Starr merkt hierzu an: „eine sorgfältige Darlegung dieser beiden voneinander variierenden Ausgaben befindet sich in Doyle, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, D-90, D-90a, D-90b, D-90c“). Die Inspirationsquelle ist offensichtlich, das Stück steht in der zu erwartenden Tonart b-Moll. Gleichwohl machen der eindrucksvolle Mittelteil (g-Moll) und einige überraschende harmonische Fortschreitungen dieses Werk besonders wirkungsvoll.

Im Dezember 1853 zog sich Gottschalk zunächst in seinen Geburtsort und dann nach Kuba zurück, wo er in den folgenden drei Jahren mühsam versuchte, seine Existenz wieder aufzubauen.

aus dem Begleittext von Jeremy Nicholas © 2003
Deutsch: Viola Scheffel

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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