![]() Next comes Beethoven’s Sonata in D minor for piano Op 31 with its exciting allegro movement. The evening begins with Bach’s Sonata in G major for viola da gamba and piano in the third movement the piano is used in a solo. ![]() When the festival opens he has the distinction of playing the first concert with Casals and Horszowski. Tall, heavily built, Philip Newman is a man of impressive personality, scornful of self-advertisement, a perfectionist in his art. He studied at Manchester Royal College of Music but graduated at the Brussels Conservatoire and has spent his life abroad. Philip Newman is an English violinist of high standing on the continent, though unknown to London concert audiences. Pablo Casals during his recording of Dvorak’s concerto for violoncello with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in Prague, April 1937. Hungarian-born Sandor Vegh, well known at Prades, has made many recordings with Casals and Horszowski, one of the latest being Beethoven’s “Geister” trio. He has recently made Handel recordings in Germany.Īlfred Loewenguth enjoyed considerable success shortly before the war on his tours of Europe and America with the Loewenguth Quartet – a chamber ensemble he founded while still a student at the Paris Conservatoire. ![]() He is bringing with him to Prades the Festival Strings Chamber Orchestra from Lucerne, of which he is the conductor. Baumgartner, who played at the first Prades festival in 1950, has made recordings with Casals of Bach’s Sonatas for Cello and Piano. The violinists include Rudolf Baumgartner, Alfred Loewenguth, Sandor Vegh and Philip Newman. Von Tobel, a Swiss doctor of music, was a pupil of Casals, and has written his biography. Both visitors have played before at Prades. The cellists are Casals himself, Paul Szabo and Rudolf von Tobel. Julius Katchen, a former American child prodigy, now a mature artist, played in 1956 at the Spring festival at Prague. Karl Engel has recently recorded Schubert’s Schiller Lieder for HMV with the baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. In 1958, he and Casals recorded Beethoven’s cello sonatas at Bonn. Polish-born Horszowski has played several times at Prades and has made festival recordings with Casals. ![]() There are four pianists: Horszowski, Kaufmann, Karl Engel and Julius Katchen. This year the concerts are devoted to the works of a number of different composers, notably Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Schubert and Schumann, with occasional items by Brahms, Haydn, Couperin, Handel, Purcell, Corelli, Vivaldi and Cesar Franck. Pablo Casals performs a Bach cello solo at Abbey of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa, a Catholic monastery south of Prades, in August 1954 “I did not know that such music could exist this side of heaven … To the end of my days I shall never hear anything so wonderful.” We thank you.” The same feelings are expressed in many languages. It is Casals who is mobbed by the crowd of joyful elated admirers. Other performers – however distinguished – are scarcely noticed. When the concert ends, the entire audience waits in the plaza outside the church to acclaim Casals. He takes his seat, settles the cello in position, shuts his eyes and begins to play. His face is youthful and unwrinkled although he is well over 80. And in utter breathless silence Casals enters – a small plump figure with shining bald head and gold rimmed spectacles. Someone announces in French and English that there is to be no applause. Above the altar stands an immense statue of St Peter: few people know that the mesh purse he carries is woven from the hairs of Casals’s bow.Ī bell rings. Many of the audience kneel in prayer, some hold animated conversations, others gaze around at the ornate baroque carvings and the two magnificent retables. Before the lights fade there is always an atmosphere of excitement, dedication and passionate interest. Concerts begin at 9pm in the glittering blue and gold nave of the church of St Pierre.
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