MUS 102 CUNY BMCC The Banjo by Gottschalk Essay This discussion board will examine the relationship between The Banjo, Op. 15, by Gottschalk (Connect) and

MUS 102 CUNY BMCC The Banjo by Gottschalk Essay This discussion board will examine the relationship between The Banjo, Op. 15, by Gottschalk (Connect) and the sound of an actual banjo.

This is a recording of an actual banjo : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3qbB4Kq3Y0 and

The Banjo, Op. 15: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sdGjQLBzKc

The Banjo, Op. 15, by Louis Moreau Gottschalk is a piano piece written to imitate the sounds of a banjo. What has Gottschalk done in this composition to achieve this? Discuss the elements of this music (rhythm, texture, timbre, pitch, etc) and the ways the composer used them to write this character piece. After you have exhausted the terms from class you can also use non-musical terms to describe what you hear.

Do you think this work is successful in creating a banjo sound on the piano? Why or why not? Do you like this piece?

Is there anything about this work that strikes you as particularly American in any way?