Amiram Rigai – Louis Moreau Gottschalk – American Piano Music

Born in New Orleans, Gottschalk (1829-1869) composed piano works that drew on elements of Creole, African American, French, Caribbean, and Southern U.S. culture. He was the first American to earn international acclaim as a pianist-composer. Performed by renowned pianist Amiram Rigai, the selections encompass a variety of styles and reveal the breathtaking scope of Gottschalk's work. This remastered 70-minute recording is indispensable for those interested in American classical music. "Exotic, innovative compositions are performed with panache by a world-renowned pianist." —Billboard

Track Listing:
1. The Banjo Op. 15 (Fantasie Grotesque) - 3:22   2. La Scintilla: Mazurka, Op. 20 (The Spark) - 2:56   3. Ojos Criollos, Op. 37 (Les Yeux Creoles or Danse Cubaine) - 2:15   4. Marche Funebre, Op. 64 (Posthumos) - 5:28   5. Bamboula, Op. 2 (Danse des Negres) - 7:12   6. Souvenir de Porto Rico, Op. 31 (Marches des Gibaros) - 5:10   7. The Dying Poet (Le Poete Mourant; Meditation) - 5:00   8. Le Bananier, Op. 5 (Chanson Negre) - 2:41   9. Pasquinade, Op. 59 (Caprice) - 3:36   10. Berceuse, Op. 47 (Cradle Song) - 3:45   11. Tournament Galop - 2:57   12. Ossian Ballade, Op. 4, No. 1 - 2:12   13. Serenade, Op. 11 - 4:24   14. Morte, Op. 60 (Lamentation: She is Dead) - 5:27   15. Danza, Op. 33 (Porto Rico, November 1857) - 5:55   16. Minuit a Seville, Op. 30 (Caprice) - 4:20   17. La Gallina, Op. 53 (The Hen: Danse Cubaine) - 3:17