Exhibition
Robert Casadesus kept a meticulous record of his multiple activities as concert artist and composer, as attested to by several ‘logs’, each organized according to a different logic. These notebooks reflect his daily activities in minute detail. Some very valuable autographs have also been added in this section, as well as some sketches and some pictures of personal objects.
Robert Casadesus kept a meticulous record of his multiple activities as concert artist and composer, as attested to by several ‘logs’.These notebools reflect his daily activities in minute detail.
Blue travel diary. 22 x 17,8 cm. / 8.6 x 7 in.
This manuscript contains frequency tables of concerts given, by country and by city. Several loose hand-written pages include a list of works given in concert (with timings), a list of favorite composers, a catalogue of works by Robert Casadesus as well as lists of works destroyed and of works recorded.
Spiral notebook. 25 x 20 cm / 9.8 x 7.8 in. Private collection
In chronological order, it contains the succession of voyages and concert tours.
1936 and 1955 notebooks
On January 30, 1936, Robert Casadesus was in New York and rehearsed at Carnegie Hall at 10 a.m. The concerts, with Toscanini, took place at 8.45 p.m. and the next afternoon at 2.30.
On 15th September 1955, he was in Basel (Switzerland) and ate a fondue, whilst the 17th and 18th, in Paris, he met Zino Francescatti and Dimitri Mitropoulos. A concert took place that evening at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées.
On 19th September, he recorded Beethoven’s ‘Emperor’ Concerto, Op.73 for Philips, then left for Switzerland that very evening. The landscape must have been truly ‘superb’…
For his 70th birthday, numerous famous conductors expressed their admiration for Robert Casadesus. Here are some reproductions of letters they sent.
By Leopold Stokowski.
By John Barbirolli.
By Leonard Bernstein.
By Pierre Dervaux.
By Carlo Maria Giulini.
By Otto Klemperer.
By Kiril Kondrashin.
By Eugene Ormandy.
By Paul Paray.
By Georg Solti.
By William Steinberg.
By Frederic Waldman.
Caricature by Alfred Bendiner
The Evening Bulletin – Philadephia : January 28, 1943.
“The Philadelphia Forum presented Robert and Gaby Casadesus, pianists, in a recital last night at the Academy of Music, and in doing so, gave Philadelphia one of its most purely musical evenings of the season.”
Max de Schauensee
Drawing by Pierre Pasquier
Invitation card for the exhibition “Hommage à Robert Casadesus”
Exhibition from the 15 of March to the 15 of June 1999
Bibliothèque Nationale de France – site Richelieu
France Libre : June 15, 1947
“The first “Joint-Récital” in France of Robert and Gaby Casadesus
in favour of the french Croix-Rouge.”
“Les admirables artistes Robert et Gaby Casadesus ont donné au théâtre des Champs-Elysées un concert qui témoigna d’une parfaite unité, d’un style et d’une musicalité hors pair. A deux pianos, une sonate de Mozart, et trois danses méditérranéennes de Robert Casadesus remportèrent un grand succès. D’autre part, la sonate appassionata de Beethoven n’a jamais sans doute bénéficié d’une plus belle interprétation. Robert Casadesus en donna une traduction absolument magnifique, à tous points de vue, style, expression, recherche des plans sonores, ainsi d’ailleurs que des pages si colorées de Debussy et Ravel, auxquelles l’incomparable artiste apporta un singulier pouvoir d’évocation.“
Maxime Belliard
Musical America, 1950.
“All three members of the Casadesus family appeared as soloists with the New York Philharmonic-Symphony on Nov.23; at the left is Robert, and at the right are his son, Jean, and wife, Gaby.
Robert and Gaby Casadesus and their gifted 23 year-old son, Jean, gave an energetic performance of Bach’s D minor concerto. Mr. and Mrs. Casadesus performed the Mozart concerto with dash and elegance…”
R.S
Robert’s piano in the music room, Rue Vaneau in Paris
The hands of Robert Casadesus (bronze sculpture)
‘Edison Prize’ trophy received in Amsterdam, September 1961.
Commemorative medal engraved by Caillaux (monnaie de Paris).