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By the time I gave my first New York recital, Casals had settled in
Puerto Rico. I had been so moved by his recordings of Mendelssohn's "Spring
Song" and his "Song without Words in D Major" that I felt emboldened
to send him a recording of the B Flat Sonata from my concert as a gesture of thanks
and kinship. To my great surprise I received a reply in less than two weeks. It was
warm and generous. Above all, Casals could not resist giving me a mini-lesson in
writing. I shall treasure this simple letter always: . . . "I liked very much
the feeling which you put in the music, also your good en tonation.
I would suggest, nevertheless, that you should try not to swell the notes. . . It
was very nice of you to have sent this record ."
Many years later, long after his death, I had two occasions to be touched by Casals'
legacy. My wife, violinist Shirley Givens, and I were invited to participate in the
Puerto Rico Casals Festival (still continuing to this day). Our contribution was
a trio and sonata concert with pianist Samuel Pérez held at the Puerto Rico
Conservatory that Casals had founded. I was honored to play the Bach D Minor Suite.
(See Violoncello Society Newsletter, Winter l990/91, "The Golden Treasure of San Juan", in
The Library - Reading Room.
An even more emotional occasion was a chamber music concert in the salon of Casals'
last home on the outskirts of San Juan before an invited audience of the island's
musical élite. I have described my feelings elsewhere (in another Violoncello
Society Newsletter, Fall l993, "Casals
Lives On in Puerto Rico", in The Library - Reading
Room). Suffice it to say here that the experience of performing the great Mozart
E Flat Divertimento for String Trio while sitting in the great man's chair, in front
of his very grand piano, with his features looking down from a portrait on the wall,
was quite overwhelming!
Home Have you missed any part of the The
Wall of Fame Gallery:?
Itzhak PerlmanLeonard RoseFrank Sinatra
Michael TippettPablo Casals
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