ROBERT CASADESUS IN CONCERT
CD-1133(1)
Not for sale in France
The pianism of Robert Casadesus (1899-1972) is well documented on the numerous recordings he made over a span of some 40 years. This legacy embraces most of the major works from his repertoire and fortunately almost all of Casadesus's studio activity is, or has been, available on compact disc reissues. The three performances offered herewith, however, provide a glimpse of this great French pianist in live settings. Furthermore, the works by Saint-Saëns and Franck bring us a collaboration with Jascha Horenstein, a major conductor not represented among Casadesus's studio ventures (where the majority of his concerto discs were led by Munch, Rodzinski, Mitropoulos, Ormandy, Szell, or Bernstein).
Casadesus was able to boast a direct line of influence going back to the gestation of César Franck's Variations symphoniques via an early teacher of his, and he knew Ravel and was the first to record Ravels complete piano music. These performances are authoritative and admirably executed. Technical reconstruction by Maggi Payne; liner notes by Donald Manildi.
For exhaustive biographical information on the Casadesus family, including rare photos and discographic information, see http://www.robertcasadesus.com
CD-1133(1) ROBERT CASADESUS IN CONCERT Saint-Saëns: Concerto No. 4 in C Minor for piano, Op. 44 Franck: Symphonic Variations . Both with ORTF, Jascha Horenstein Montreux Festival Sept. 26, 1961 Ravel: Concerto pour la main gauche (17:08) Het Concertgebouworkest, Eduard van Beinum Concertgebouw Amsterdam October 23 or 24, 1946 total time = 54:45 Technical Reconstruction (2004): Maggi Payne AAD UPC # 17685-11332-1