Search - Gottschalk, Mandel :: 40 Works for Piano

A great collection - but a misfire.

07/25/1999

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This 3 disc collection of 40 works by Gottschalk has it's pluses, and unfortunately it's minuses. The pluses include the large number of works presented in a single collection, and at an unbeatable price. On the minus side, we are presented with performances which abound with wrong notes, some of which are very excessive and plain irritating (especially "The Union"). Alan Mandel is obviously a fine pianist, and he is well recorded, but either was not given the benefit of multiple takes, or the VOX company elected to release his recordings without editing. After listening to these discs you will agree there is a case to be made for "multiple takes/splicing/editing" to produce the best recording possible. I cannot understand why the VOX label would release these recordings in this manner."

Say it ain't so! We DO get what we pay for.

Kevin Currie-Knight | Newark, Delaware | 10/03/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"It bedevils me every time I reflect that such a great composer is not more noticed and recorded. Gottschalk has a melodic touch that rivals Mozart (yes, this is my opinion), a dexterity that rivals Chopin and an emotion to rival Mendelssohn. Yet, where are the recordings. Honestly, this is the most comprehensive recording of Gottshcalk, I think, that exists. And our favorite works are all here. L'union, The Last Hope, The Banjo, and in my opinion the pinnacle of emotional pot-boilers, The Dying Poet. This set will provide hours of listening and re-listening pleasure. So why's it so durn inexpensive?

No, this isn't a recording pulled out of the dustbin from 1940 and 'spruced up' for a bargain reissue. The sound quality is quite good, actually. The recording is inexpensive because, if I had to guess and I guess I do, the tracks are all first takes. Of course, Alan Mandel plays with good feeling and ept dexterity but he misses much of the crisp speed and technique that Gottschalk demands. The trills are not smooth and the runs are not clean. Geez! I'm sure they didn't let him redo anything as some of the mistakes were just obvious! Not to worry though. As most of the botched runs are lightning fast, they're only mildly noticeable. Sadley though, I have to reccomend this recording out of necessity. The other Gottschalk piano collections are good too, but this one has ALL the good stuff where as they only have some of it."

Superb work

Seven Octaves | Colorado United States | 07/09/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mandel captures Gottschalk completely in this work. Every work is detailed well. I play much of Gottschalk, and Mandel's interpretation's are done to near perfection. I would dismiss the two previous reviewer's who talked about 'wrong note's' and other garbage, obviously reviewed by musical simpletons. I highly recommed this cd."