Gaspar Cassadó created approximately 80 transcriptions for cello, including versions of Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 3 and Weber's Clarinet Concerto No. 2, and a concerto from Tchaikovsky's piano pieces.
Composer Biography
Pau Casals (known as Pablo Casals), a revolutionary cellist, was responsible for reintroducing J.S. Bach's six Suites for Solo Cello into the cello repertoire after discovering them around 1890.
Historical Context
The cello was a vital part of Catalan musical expression in the first half of the 20th century, with two Catalan cellist-composers, Pablo Casals and Gaspar Cassadó, crucial to its development.
Performer Biography
Dmitry Yablonsky, a GRAMMY Award-nominated cellist and conductor, plays two cellos: a Joseph Guarnerius, filius Andrea and a Matteo Goffriller.
Compositional Technique
Gaspar Cassadó's 'Lamento de Boabdil' is a programmatic piece depicting the lament of Muhammad XII, the last Moorish ruler of Granada, as he looks back at the conquered city.
Composer Biography
Federico Mompou, a Barcelona-born composer known for his contemplative piano writing, was a good friend of both Gaspar Cassadó and Pablo Casals.
Composer Biography
Gaspar Cassadó, a promising cellist, became a student of Pablo Casals at age nine and also studied composition with Maurice Ravel and Manuel de Falla in Paris.
