Having just read Gottschalk's "Notes of a Pianist," I can answer MarkCannon's quiz question #3 with certainty. It's Gottschalk. But I think Gottschalk's diary is deserving of its own thread. So here goes.

"Notes of a Pianist" is a very interesting read for reasons beyond musical interest. It's full of snapshot-like observations of American life during the Civil War, with some focus on the embryonic American concert life in cities and towns large and small. He gives concerts in New York and Boston, as well as many of the smaller towns of New England. Then into the west, meaning Pennsylvania and beyond, as far as Wisconsin. I have heard elsewhere that he got as far as Minnesota, but there is no mention of this in the book. He ends his American tours in California.

One incident of many: he and his troupe--consisting of two Chickerings, a piano tuner, a soprano, an agent and two sub-agents, a servant, as well as a "prestidigitalist," (magician who does card tricks), and some others I don't recall--get caught up in the confusion surrounding the Battle of Gettysburg, when his primary agent insists, against Gottschalk's better judgment, that he and his troupe travel to Harrisburg, PA to give a concert. It's just too big a monetary jackpot to pass up, and they haven't been doing well in the smaller towns. But there are troops everywhere. He loses his two Chickerings, apparently in train transfers. There are train delays, and constant rescheduling. The train his troupe is on is overcrowded with troops headed towards Harrisburg, while there are other trains going the other way with fleeing civilians. Gottschalk understandably feels he ought to on one of the trains going the other way. What a mess. The concert is canceled.

Other incidents in the book: He is obliged to give a concert in Harvard, Illinois, and must walk miles through a blizzard, with hard drifted snow up to his knees, to do so; He sometimes has to sleep on the floor, and is constantly mentioning--mostly complaining--about the quality of the hotels; Throughout the book, there are countless observations of the condition of the troops--he's very sympathetic, but he has to travel and interact with the troops, and the reality of this--foul language, drinking, fist fights, strong body odors--makes him very unsympathetic; As he arrives in Panama, on board a steamer--his ultimate destination California--he learns of the assassination of Lincoln, and he gives his observations of his traveling companion's reaction to this, as well as his own thoughts. It is a profound and tearful moment--bringing to mind the moment I learned of the Kennedy assassination.

Throughout the book, Gottschalk reveals his eye for the ladies, constantly commenting on how pretty they are, or not pretty, particularly those from the seminaries for young ladies. Every town of any size seemed to have one, and the young ladies were encouraged to attend his concerts, as classical music was thought to have an edifying effect on them--and they did so in droves. He got involved with two such young ladies in California, who were later caught sneaking back into the seminary at 2:30AM--Oh My! The newspapers got wind of it, and that was the end of Gottschalk in California. He was run out of the state, and went to South America where he finished his career.

Such are the hazards of the traveling life of a concert artist in mid 19th century America.

It's a good read, not only because it gives a contemporaneous look at the fledgling American music culture of that time, but also because it was written at a very critical time in American history.

Tomasino

+1

Thanks for posting this. I remember reading the book years ago (still have my copy) and it's great reading.

I recall his story where some pompous pianist had been hired to play in one of Gottschalk's multiple-piano concerts, so as a joke, care was taken to disable his piano's action from playing, while still letting the keys work. Everyone enjoyed the pianist's wild gestures and expressions, all in the effort of producing no sound at all!

Gottschalk is an interesting individual. It is a shame his interaction with Liszt did not go smoother. I suspect he would have a much larger standing today if that were the case.

Thank you for the book review, Tomasino. I eyed the book a year or so ago, but got wrapped up in required reading instead. When I have a chance I'll have to get a copy and enjoy it. Louis Gottschalk is one of my favorite composers from the 19th century and I feel that he has been sadly neglected over the years.

At anyrate his life and times would make an interesting movie to say the least.

John

I found a battered copy on ebay that turned out to have been signed for a friend by Gottschalk's sister who actually published it after his death.

On that note it was her husband who translated it and rather poorly at that. Then they lost the originals! He was really a great writer as well as pianist.