Gaby Casadesus

GABY CASADESUS
French pianist (1901-1999)

Gaby and Robert Casadesus
piano duo

Gaby Casadesus was a pupil of Louis Démier and Marguerite Long at the Paris Conservatory where she was awarded a first prize at the age of sixteen. Debussy was one of the judges. She also knew the great French comosers of her time including Maurice Ravel, Gabriel Fauré, Florent Schmitt and Moritz Moszkowski, and her performances of the piano works of these composers benefited from their advice and encouragement.

In addition to the French repertoire, Gaby Casadesus specialized in the piano music of Mendelssohn and composers of the Baroque period. And her Chopin is nothing short of exquisite. Do not miss the gorgeous performances of his Impromptus.

Gaby Casadesus was the wife of the celebrated French pianist Robert Casadesus with whom she concertized and recorded extensively as a piano duo. Their son Jean was also a very respected pianist. A number of the recordings that follow are for two pianos and recorded with husband Robert. I must say that as great an admirer of Robert as I am, Gaby Casadesus was to my taste the superior pianist.

And of course, Gaby Casadesus was herself an important teacher in Europe and the United States eventually co-founding the Robert Casadesus International Piano Competition based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Couperin "Le Carillon de Cythère"

recorded in 1945

Rameau 4 "Le rappel des oiseaux" from Pièces de clavecin, second suite in E major

recorded in the early 1940s

Bach Concerti for two pianos
with Robert Casadesus, piano

Edmond de Stoutz conducting the Zurich Chamber Orchestra

in C major, BWV 1060
i Allegro
05:15 ii Adagio
11:11 iii Allegro

in C major, BWV 1061
13:18 i Allegro moderato
21:05 ii Adagio ovvero Largo
25:24 iii Fuga

Bach Concerto in D minor for 3 pianos, BWV 1063
with Robert and Jean Casadesus, pianos
Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra

recorded in 1962

i Allegro

Mozart 6 Variations in F major on an original theme, K 54

recorded in 1947

Mozart Piano Concerto 9 in E♭ major, K 271
Paul Paray conducting l'Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux

i Allegro
ii Andantino
iii Rondo (Presto)

recorded in 1947

Mozart Piano Concerto 17 in G major, K 453
Eugène Bigot conducting l'Orchestre des Concerts Lamoureux

i Allegro
11:42 ii Andante
23:31 iii Allegretto. Presto

recorded in 1950 - Salle Pleyel, Paris

Mozart from Concerto 10 for two pianos in E♭ major, K 365

with Robert Casadesus, piano
Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra

i Allegro

ii Andante

iii Rondo - Allegro

Mozart Concerto 7 for Three Pianos in F major, KV 242
with Robert and jean Casadesus, pianos
Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra

ii Adagio

Schubert Fantasie in F minor, D 940 (Op 103)
with Robert Casadesus, piano

i Allegro molto moderato
04:18 ii Largo
07:05 iii Allegro Vivace
12:09 iv Tempo primo (Allegro molto moderato)

recorded in 1954

Mendelssohn from Songs Without Words

Andante con moto in E major, Op 19~1
03:13  Allegro agitato in A minor, Op 85~2
04:11  Allegro non troppo in E major, Op 67~6
06:35  Un poco agitato, ma andante in G minor, Op 102~4
08:27 Adagio in D major, 102~2
10:46  Presto in C major "Spinnerlied" 67~4
12:32  Allegro non troppo in C minor, Op 38~2
14:48  Andante espressivo in A minor, Op 19~2
16:59  Allegretto tranquillo in F♯ minor "Venezianisches Gondellied" Op 19~6
18:48  Presto agitato in G minor, Op 53~3
21:11  Agitato in A minor, Op 38~5
23:36  Presto in C major, Op 102~3

Chopin Impromptus

recorded in 1948

2 in F♯ minor, Op 36

3 in G♭ major, Op 51
04:24 4 in C♯ minor, Op 66 "Fantaisie-Impromptu"

Chabrier Idylle from Pièces pittoresques

recorded in the early 1940s

Fauré Ballade for piano and orchestra, Op 19
Manuel Rosenthal conducting l'Orchestre Lamoureux

recorded ca1948

Fauré Impromptu 2 in F minor, Op 31

recorded in the 1940s

Fauré Piano Quintet 2 in C minor, Op 115
with the Guilet String Quartet
[ Daniel Guilet and Henri Siegel, violins - William Schoen, viola - David Soyer, cello ]

i Allegro moderato
11:05 ii Allegro vivo
14:59 iii Andante moderato
24:06 iv Allegro moderato

recorded in the early 1950s

Debussy Deux Arabesques

1 in E major - Andantino con moto
03:04 2 in G major - Allegretto scherzando

recorded in the early 1940s

Debussy Danse (Tarantelle Styrienne)

recorded in the 1940s

Debussy 4 Preludes from Book I

2 Voiles - Modéré
03:08 8 La fille aux cheveux de lin - Très calme et doucement expressif
05:17 9 La sérénade interrompue - Modérément animé
07:52 12 Minstrels - Modéré

recorded in the 1940s

Debussy Pour le Piano

I Prélude
II Sarabande
III Toccata

recorded in the 1940s

Debussy "En Blanc et Noir"
with Robert Casadesus, piano

I Avec emportement
II Lent. Sombre
III Scherzando

Debussy Six épigraphes antiques (1914)
with Robert Casadesus, piano

1 Pour invoquer Pan, dieu du vent d'été
02:06 2 Pour un tombeau sans nom
05:08 3 Pour que la nuit soit propice
07:35 4 Pour la danseuse aux crotales
09:34 5 Pour l'Egyptienne
12:09 6 Pour remercier la pluie au matin

Satie Gnossienne 3

recorded in the early 1940s

Ravel "Pavane pour une infante défunte"

recorded in the 1940s

Ravel Prelude from Le Tombeau de Couperin

recorded in the 1940s

Ravel "Jeux d'eau"

recorded in the 1940s

Ravel "Oiseaux Tristes" from Miroirs

recorded in the 1940s

Ravel "Ma mère l'oye"
with Robert Casadesus, piano

I Pavane de la belle au bois dormant - Lent
01:12 II Petit Poucet - Très modéré
04:00 III Laideronnette, impératrice des pagodes - Mouvement de marche
07:09 IV Les entretiens de la belle et de la bête - Mouvement de valse très modéré
10:40 V Le jardin féerique - Lent et grave