afterwards changed to that of 'Danse Ossianique,' besides the two 'Ballades d'Ossian,' which he composed in one night for the fête day of his mother. The 'Bananier,' one of his best compositions, was then written. At this period he made the acquaintance of Mr. Leon Escudier, who became not only the intelligent publisher of his works in Paris, but the devoted friend which he remained until the death of Gottschalk. He also composed 'Les Colliers d'Or,' which afterwards gave rise to a singular episode. In 1848 the following criticism and notice appeared in 'La France Musicale,' Paris.
Who does not know the 'Bamboula?' Who is there who has not read the description of that picturesque, exciting dance, which gives expression to the feeling of the negroes? Joyful or sad, plaintive, amorous, jealous, forsaken, solitary, fatigued, ennuied, or the heart filled with grief, the negro forgets all in dancing the 'Bamboula.' Look down there at those two black-tinted women, with short petticoats, their necks and ears ornamented with coral, le regard brulant, dancing under the banana tree; the whole of their bodies is in movement; further on are groups who excite and stimulate them to every excess of fancy; two negroes roll their active fingers over a noisy tambourine, accompanying it with a languishing chant, lively or impassioned, according to the pose of the dancers. Little negroes, like those on the canvas of Decamps, are jumping around the fiddlers; it is full of folly and delusion. The 'Bamboula' is at its height.This attractive dance has frequently furnished a theme for instrumental compositions, which, however, have not obtained all the success that we expected from them. The Creole airs transported into our salons lose their character, at once wild, languishing, indescribable, which has no resemblance to any other European music; some have thought that it was sufficient to have the chants written down, and to reproduce them with variations, in order to obtain new effects: not so, the effects have failed. One must have lived under the burning sky from whence the Creole draws his melodies; one must be impregnated with these eccentric chants, which are little dramas in action; in one word, one must be Creole, as composer and executant, in order to feel and make others understand the whole originality of 'Bamboula.'
We have discovered this Creole composer; an American composer, bon Dieu! Yes, indeed, and a pianist composer and player of the highest order, who as yet is only known in the aristocratic salons of Paris, and whose name will soon make a great noise. We have German pianists, Hungarian, Russian, Italian pianists. We have ended by discovering French pianists; and now we have an American pianist. His name is Gottschalk. Close the lips, advance the tongue, appear a little like whistling, and you will have the key to the pronunciation. Gottschalk is already a marvellous pianist; his school is that of Chopin, Thalberg, and Prudent united together. He has taken from one his lightness, grace, and purity; from the others, their unrestrained passion and their attractive brilliancy; and I can assure you that for a long time a pianist so original, so sympathetic, has not been seen. Gottschalk has composed several
