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(Actually, that's 180th... ;) )
Born in New Orleans of French and Creole parentage today in 1829, Louis Moreau Gottschalk took Europe by storm as a child prodigy, played for Chopin and Liszt, and returned home to fame and the grueling life of a concert pianist. Despite his southern origin, his sympathies lay with the Union. His journal, published after his death as “Notes of a Pianist” provides a fascinating view of life in America on the home front during the war:
For more information about Gottschalk, see:
For an example of Gottschalk’s compositions, you could do worse than starting with Richard Alston’s performance of “The Union,” a piece that may have done more for the northern war effort than any given brigade:
For an example of one of Gottschalk’s most popular “American” pieces, check out this clip of “Bach Scholar” playing “Le Banjo”:
Enjoy! And happy birthday, Louis Moreau!