Pau Casals, a renowned cellist, intentionally left most of his compositions unpublished, preferring to let future musicians determine their value.
Compositional Technique
Pau Casals's 'Sardana for cello orchestra' is considered radically modern for its time due to its chromaticism and descriptive musical fragments that emulate various festival scenes.
Composition History
The unpublished works were discovered 38 years after Casals' death by his widow, Marta Casals, who then had them evaluated by cellist Lluís Claret.
Composition History
Five of the seven works by Pau Casals on this album are recorded for the first time, having been previously unpublished.
Critical Reception
The premiere of Casals's 'Sardana for cello orchestra' in London in 1927 was a great success, with composer Vincent d'Indy praising its natural atonality.
Recording & Production
The manuscripts for these newly recorded pieces were challenging to decipher, with highly chromatic passages requiring extensive work by Lluís Claret and Gerard Pastor.
Performer Biography
Lluís Claret, the cellist on this recording, was mentored by Enric Casals, the brother of Pau Casals, for many years.
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