Gottschalk, LM :: Two Pieces Volume I

Two Pieces Volume I

Gottschalk, LM

Two Pieces Volume 1 contains La Jota Aragonesa and Souvenir de la Havane , both composed by Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-1869) and arranged for flute, B-flat clarinet, and piano by Michael Webster. Includes the flute part, clarinet part, and piano score.

Preface from the arranger: 'The French-speaking son of a British-American Jew and a woman from the French colony of Saint-Dominque (Now Haiti), New Orleans native Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-1869) was without question the most important American musician of his generation. A prodigiously gifted pianist, Gottschalk moved to Paris at the age of 13. There he was befriended by Saint-Saens, championed by Berlioz, and lauded by Chopin. His early works, such a 'Bamboula', 'Le Bananier', and 'Le Banjo', were so popular that the 13-year-old Georges Bizet included some on a solo piano recital in 1851.

Hailed as the successor to Chopin following his formal debut at the Salle Pleyel in 1849, Gottschalk embarked on a globe-hopping career as pianist/composer with a tour of Switzerland in 1850 and a prolonged stay in Spain in 1851. There he became a favorite of Isabella II an demonstrated how he could incorporate 'local color' effectively into his compositions. 'La Jota Aragonesa' is a case in point - a famous Spanish tune (used also by Saint-Saens, Glinka, and Liszt!) cleverly and virtuosically embellished.

'Souvenir de la Havane' (1859) dates from Gottschalk's first trip to the Antilles, where he found extraordinary acclaim and a lifestyle that suited his romantic personality. It is the first example I can find of the traditional Cuban dance, 'habanera' ('havanaise' in French), as a basis for a concert piece. Traditional thought subscribes to the influence French music had upon Gottschalk, but closer investigation reveals that the influence was symbiotic. Bizet, Saint-Saens, Debussy, and Ravel all followed suit with 'habaneras' of their own.

Gottschalk returned to the U.S. during the War Between the States and gave hundreds of piano recitals to support both the Union cause and his many half-brothers and sisters. Ever the lady's man, he was accused of an illicit relationship with a student at the Oakland Female Seminary and jumped on a ship to South America, never to return to the U.S. He died in Rio di Janeiro, Brazil at the age of 40.

'The Piano Works of Louis Moreau Gottschalk', edited in five volumes by Vera Brodsky Lawrence (Arno Press, New York, 1969), served as source material for these transcriptions. All of the contained works appear to be literal reprints of first editions, complete with elaborate frontispieces. I have retained the original articulations, such as slurs, accents, and staccato marks, except when inconsistent or inappropriate for flute and clarinet. 'La Jota Aragonesa' has versions for piano solo and piano four-hands, from which I have chosen options that are most suitable for flute, clarinet, and piano. 'Souvenir de la Havane' is originally for piano solo, with rapid crossing of hands to showcase Gottschalk's colossal technique. Appropriately, the transcription features fireworks from all three instruments in the coda.

This arrangement of 'La Jota Aragonesa' and 'Souvenir de la Havane' can be heard on 'World Wide Webster' (Crystal Records CD 357), played by the Webster Trio: Leone Buse, flute; Michael Webster, clarinet; Robert Moeling; piano.'

- Michael Webster, 2015