Not all of the works included in Volume 7 of Philip Martin’s ongoing Gottschalk survey count among the composer’s more inspired creations. Still, the pianist finds charm in the faded sentimentality of The Water Sprite and Forget me not (Gottschalk’s last composition). He makes light work of the composer’s glittery, note-laden right-hand runs in ambitious nationalistic tomes like Le cri de délivrance, the God save the Queen paraphrase, and the episodic Le chant du soldat. In the concert waltz La brise, Martin’s interlocking octaves stir up the dance floor. But I’d prefer more colorful differentiation between melody and accompaniment in the concert etude Madeleine, and a more boisterous, less heavy approach to Gottschalk’s earlier version of The Banjo. Despite Martin’s easily tossed off repeated notes in La Gallina, the infectious Cuban-inspired rhythms cry out for more swagger and panache. However, The Dying Swan is nowhere near as treacle-coated as the title suggests, and it emerges as a near-masterpiece via Martin’s tender, introspective phrasing and lusciously voiced arpeggiated chords. While Volume 7 doesn’t dazzle as much as its two predecessors, Martin’s finest moments will please Gottschalk lovers who’ve followed this series from the start. [1/6/2005]
