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Track(s) taken from CDA66459

Le bananier 'Chanson nègre', RO21 Op 5

composer
? 1848; published in Paris in ? 1850

Philip Martin (piano)
Recording details: September 1990
St Michael's Church, Highgate, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Martin Compton
Engineered by Antony Howell
Release date: June 1991
Total duration: 2 minutes 41 seconds

Cover artwork: The Snake Charmer. Henri Rousseau (1844-1910)
 

Reviews

‘A very enjoyable disc indeed’ (The Good CD Guide)

‘The best Gottschalk disk currently available’ (Fanfare, USA)

‘An important and recommendable issue … to be welcomed wholeheartedly’ (CDReview)
The Banana Tree, one of the ‘Louisiana trilogy’ which made Gottschalk’s name in Europe, is based on the Creole air ‘En avan’, grenadié’ (a colloquial contraction of ‘En avant, grenadiers’ a well-known popular song) and, though an early success, features the kind of brilliant figurations and hummable melody which characterise so much of his later work. Offenbach, interestingly, transcribed it for cello. The subtitle was inserted, presumably, to enhance its exotic appeal.

from notes by Jeremy Nicholas © 1990

Le Bananier, une des pièces de la «trilogie de la Louisiane» qui établit la réputation de Gottschalk en Europe, est basé sur l’air créole «En avan’, grenadié» (air populaire bien connu «En avant, grenadiers»). Bien que ce soit un de ses premiers succès, il comprend le genre d’embellissements brillants et de mélodie facile à fredonner qui caractérisent tant de ses œuvres ultérieures. Il est intéressant de noter qu’Offenbach transcrivit cet air pour violoncelle. On peut supposer que le sous-titre fut ajouté pour accroitre son charme exotique.

extrait des notes rédigées par Jeremy Nicholas © 1990
Français: Alain Midoux

Der Bananenbaum, Teil der „Louisiana-Trilogie“, die Gottschalk in Europa einen Namen machte, beruht auf dem kreolischen Lied „En avan’, grenadié“ (eine umgangssprachliche Verkürzung von „En avant, grenadiers“, Titel einer wohlbekannten Volksweise), und obwohl es ein frühes Erfolgsstück ist, weist es die gleichen brillanten Figurationen und die singbare Melodie auf, die einen erheblichen Teil seiner späteren Werke auszeichnen. Es mag interessieren, daß Offenbach es für das Cello transkribiert hat. Der Untertitel wurde vermutlich hinzugefügt, um den exotischen Reiz des Werks hervorzuheben.

aus dem Begleittext von Jeremy Nicholas © 1990
Deutsch: Anne Steeb/Bernd Müller

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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