This disc continues the Hot Springs Festival’s exploration of the music of “free black” composers in New Orleans, musicians who enjoyed great success abroad in the middle of the 19th century. Charles Lucien Lambert Sr. ended up in Brazil, where he and his son took part in a piano marathon concert organized by Louis Moreau Gottschalk on one of his visits to South America. The program includes an orchestral overture by Lambert Jr., in an arrangement by Hot Springs Festival organizer Richard Rosenberg, but most of the music on this CD is for solo piano, or voice and piano. Though the music is reasonably skillful, especially the keyboard pieces, the fact that the two best compositions on the CD are based on the tunes of others (Gottschalk and the folk song “Au Clair de la Lune”) says a lot. The Lamberts were fine craftsmen, but no inspired melodists like Gottschalk, and this is basically second-rate music.
The various pianists and singers that participate make a good impression, as does the orchestra in the opening overture, and the recorded sound is decent. But this program is only for those who have already discovered Gottschalk and simply want to branch out. There are no startling discoveries here as there always are with Louis Moreau.
