Briefly discuss America's virtuoso cult with particular emphasis on the musical life of Louis Moreau Gottschalk

What will be an ideal response?

He was the most gifted American musician of the mid-nineteenth century.
born: New Orleans
pianist; composer; virtuoso performer
first established himself in Europe as a composer
returned to U.S. a successful composer
two trips to the West Indies
kept a journal: published as Notes of a Pianist
walked a careful line between classical and popular music
remarkable appearance, stage presence, and charm

Gottschalk's compositions can be divided into three categories:
pieces based on vernacular American music
"The Banjo"
virtuoso concert pieces or "paraphrases"
medleys of operatic airs
popular tunes that were often patriotic
the so-called salon pieces
He often ended his concerts with these sentimental works.
least favorite of his