Timeless, captivating rhythms

Born in 1829, the composer and celebrated pianist Louis Moreau Gottschalk spent his childhood in New Orleans and his youth in Paris, where as a young man he was in contact with Hector Berlioz, Georges Bizet and Camille Saint-Saëns, among others. His family roots lay in England, Spain and France; his grandparents lived in the Caribbean. This multicultural background was reflected in his virtuoso handling of various national styles, whereby the emphasis on rhythm was usually characteristic and already foreshadowed the development of typical elements of later ragtime. Gottschalk died in Rio de Janeiro in 1869 at the age of just 40.

Manchega is a bravura piece with a Spanish touch, written in a six-eighth bar, which in turn could be broken down into six-sixteenth and three-eighth bars over long stretches. Played at a high tempo, this results in characteristic syncopations. The arrangement for two guitars by Viennese musician, teacher and editor Michael Langer does not adhere slavishly to the original, but adapts the notes in a way that makes sense for the specific instrument, for example by breaking down repeated notes in the pianist's left hand into suitable arpeggios in the accompanying guitar part. Despite high registers, fast runs and some percussive elements, the piece remains easy to play and attractive.

The impeccable sheet music edition consists of a score and two individual parts with fingering and touch markings. The fact that the composition, which is basically in the "classical" tradition, appears as a fingerstyle number in the same series as pieces by musicians such as Paul Simon or Carlos Santana is somewhat surprising, but is justified by the publisher with Gottschalk's stays in Latin America and the fascinating timelessness of his music.

Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Manchega for two guitars, fingerstyle ed. by Michael Langer, D 839, € 9.80, Dux, Manching 2015