Pablo Casals Research Paper
Pablo Casals
Pablo Casals, one of the most recognizable cellists in history, was born December 29, 1876. His career was unsurpassed by any other cellist during the first half of the twentieth century. He is known for the multiple recordings throughout his career which included solo, chamber, and orchestral music, as well as recordings while conducting. For most cellists his most notable accomplishment was his recordings of the incomparable Bach Cello Suites which were recorded from 1936 to 1939.
His early years in his native Catalonia, Spain were spent being educated in music by his father who was a parish organist and choirmaster. As would be clearly seen in his later years, his understanding of music was amazing. Today his master classes …show more content…
Although his father’s methods may have seemed extreme, they served only to further young Pablo’s musical ability. By the age of four he was playing the flute, piano and violin and by age six was proficient enough to perform a public solo on the violin. It is amazing to know that his first exposure to any cello like instrument was that of a street performer that had been fashioned from a broom handle! His first personal experience with the cello was much like my own. At fourteen I asked for a cello and was allowed by my father to borrow a very broken down cello. Casals was given an instrument made from a gourd by his father as his first cello. When he was eleven he heard some travelling performers and saw a real cello for the first time. After that, the cello was his instrument of choice. Although I play other instruments, as Casals did, it was hard to deny that I wanted to be known as “a …show more content…
In 1895 he returned home to Catalonia and was appointed to the faculty of his own Escola Municipal de Música. He was also made principal cellist in the orchestra of Barcelona's opera house, the Liceu and in 1897 he performed as soloist with the Madrid Symphony Orchestra, and was awarded the Order of Carlos III from the Queen of Spain.
His later career found him conducting master classes, as mentioned earlier, throughout the world. Some of the master classes were actually televised in the 1960’s and are still available for budding cellists. It was at this point in his career that he created unique versions of the six Brandenburg Concerti. To add this to his already amazing recordings of the Bach Suites truly showed the depth of his musical abilities!
In addition to performing remarkable renditions of famous pieces he was a wonderful composer in his own right. One of his most notable works was La Sardena, composed for a cello ensemble. The completion of his composing career was a piece titled “Hymne of the United Nations” which he performed in 1971, at a special event, for the United Nations shortly before his 95th
Pablo Casals, one of the most recognizable cellists in history, was born December 29, 1876. His career was unsurpassed by any other cellist during the first half of the twentieth century. He is known for the multiple recordings throughout his career which included solo, chamber, and orchestral music, as well as recordings while conducting. For most cellists his most notable accomplishment was his recordings of the incomparable Bach Cello Suites which were recorded from 1936 to 1939.
His early years in his native Catalonia, Spain were spent being educated in music by his father who was a parish organist and choirmaster. As would be clearly seen in his later years, his understanding of music was amazing. Today his master classes …show more content…
Although his father’s methods may have seemed extreme, they served only to further young Pablo’s musical ability. By the age of four he was playing the flute, piano and violin and by age six was proficient enough to perform a public solo on the violin. It is amazing to know that his first exposure to any cello like instrument was that of a street performer that had been fashioned from a broom handle! His first personal experience with the cello was much like my own. At fourteen I asked for a cello and was allowed by my father to borrow a very broken down cello. Casals was given an instrument made from a gourd by his father as his first cello. When he was eleven he heard some travelling performers and saw a real cello for the first time. After that, the cello was his instrument of choice. Although I play other instruments, as Casals did, it was hard to deny that I wanted to be known as “a …show more content…
In 1895 he returned home to Catalonia and was appointed to the faculty of his own Escola Municipal de Música. He was also made principal cellist in the orchestra of Barcelona's opera house, the Liceu and in 1897 he performed as soloist with the Madrid Symphony Orchestra, and was awarded the Order of Carlos III from the Queen of Spain.
His later career found him conducting master classes, as mentioned earlier, throughout the world. Some of the master classes were actually televised in the 1960’s and are still available for budding cellists. It was at this point in his career that he created unique versions of the six Brandenburg Concerti. To add this to his already amazing recordings of the Bach Suites truly showed the depth of his musical abilities!
In addition to performing remarkable renditions of famous pieces he was a wonderful composer in his own right. One of his most notable works was La Sardena, composed for a cello ensemble. The completion of his composing career was a piece titled “Hymne of the United Nations” which he performed in 1971, at a special event, for the United Nations shortly before his 95th