Pablo Casals plays Dvořák Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104 (1/5)

[Sinfoniette]

Now learning of the soushi-kaimei that happened in my country and more about similar events in Catalonia, I now believe that it is a travesty that must be fixed.

I urge anyone to learn more about the above events but certainly it is a fruitless discussion regarding music.

[detripasmaravillas]

I grew up in Puerto Rico attending the Casals Festival yearly and met Pablo Casals at the age of six. He had no objection to my calling him Don Pablo, that is what everyone in the island he made his home until death called him, very respectfully, may I add.

[pepetantonet]

yes, like PAU Gassol!

[robertgimenez]

Pau has to bee translated as Paul not as Pace I agree. Anyhow, please, take a look on "Pau Casals the Catalan courier" and you will see why he is a symbol that belongs to us Catalans ,an old European nation that is going to disappear ruined and crushed by Spain, France and the inanity of our own people.To be crushed and ruined as a nation our desapearing lenguage so our soul and identity because you are small, is not a matter that if it happens to you, people can take as a joke

[olympieta]

Please, note that Pau is not peace in this event. It is Pablo, Paul or Paolo. Pau is the catalan translation for his name. Pau was often called Pablo because his mother was porto rican.

The comentary of Free4Catalonia is not true.

[Fernando31512]

Tão pequena votação só mostra que a maioria não sabe distinguir a execução eximia e correta do violoncelo. É pena mas para mim foi um dos mais exímios executantes do violoncelo. Que esteja em paz e em glória. Amen. Fernando.

[k73f]

@RunWalkRace totally agree, i don't like when people say it's 'overplayed' it's not the performer's fault a piece is so brilliant.

[moret1957]

Pau (catalàn),Pablo (español) de las dos maneras es correcto decirlo!!,no sean ignorantes!!

[Philboy50]

i really dont like this version too much. i think he plays it too fast, no emotion, no riterdando at all when its needed. just straight forward. ofc tequnecally perfect but just straight forward.

[astrogeek15]

@Sinfoniette 4 actually HAHAHA (orchestra nerd), and you know what else is overplayed... popper etudes... I love them but... yeah

[Free4Catalonia]

Sorry but his name was, PAU. (Peace). Pau Casals.

Not Paul, nor Paolo, neither Pablo, but: Pau .. .PAU CASALS.

Please Gentlemen. A respect for the master, is required.

[dogtransport]

@Free4Catalonia His name is PABLO, not PAU! Pablo means humble! Pau means nothing! Do not let this man have died in vain! Respect the artist's name!

[GR3c0rds]

@Free4Catalonia Actually, I think he was known by both names. He was, I think, born Pau, but he performed under Pablo. So both are correct, Pablo might even be more correct.

We remember his work, petty arguments about his name are irrelevant.

[thatonemusickid]

@Free4Catalonia I'm sorry, but I've seen the same comment from you on multiple videos by Casals. There are multiple accepted variations of his name depending on the location. I think what we should remember is his music, not how many ways we can pronounce his name, or what the proper one should be. Listen to the beauty of his sound, and how amazingly he plays. I'm sure you can appreciate this sentiment. You are obviously a fan of his and I respect that.

[rimatus]

@Free4Catalonia GTFO with that crap. Who fucking cares (besides a bunch of hot heads). Go to the fuckng Camp Nou and vent you anger there. You can yell all you want there.

[Cellolife97]

@Free4Catalonia Yes his real name is Pau but he was commonaly called and known as Pablo during his career. I really don't think calling him Pablo is disrespectful

[assindiastignani]

@Free4Catalonia OK, OK calm down. My God, NOBODY is disrespecting this master. It was just a convenience of the times to change somewhat unusual first names into more recognizable ones. Like "Arthur" Rubinstein rather than Artur. Ask any former Casals students - I'm sure he didn't mind.

[OurenV2]

@Free4Catalonia his stage name was Pablo Casals. Even if calling him by his real name would be "respectful", his real name is Pau Casals i Defillo.

[I254527]

Wow, so unique...

[xiasiubao]

If "Pablo" is disrespectful, I'd hate to think what you would say about his early patron, the Conte de Morphy, who called him "Pablito," oh, and incidentally saw him through his early training and career.

[otbr1n]

His real name is Pau, Pau Caslas ;)

[dikaiosyne9]

He was a political exiliated artist; please, do not contribute to the triumph, because of his own name, of the cultural genocide he always comdemned and fought against. His real first name, in catalan Pau, also means peace; Pablo doesnt mean anything. Thank you very much. Please, see too in Youtube: El discurs de Pau Casals or Pau Casals, the catalan courier.

[danveldor]

Why talk about two things so opposed

dikaiosyne9 ? the Music the best thing of the world, and the politic the worst creation of the humanity

[dikaiosyne9]

Please, read about the life of this wonderfoul person, and the tragedy of Catalonia, his country. He dont think like you. I love music, I love Pau Casals music (so much as you, maybe more), and I love Pau Casals too, and his ideas. And he was a victim of the politic, of course, the politic of genocides. See here in Youtube: El discurs de Pau Casals or Pau Casals, the catalan courier. Thank you, and sorry: my english is very bad...

[dikaiosyne9]

And see at the fotograph at 2:08, behind the head of Pau: the flag of his homeland: la senyera o quatribarrada, the Catalonias flag. He was a catalan, and he was proud of his country, and his catalan name was Pau Casals. And the spaniards hate all that: see the insults against him in other videos. Thank you, Pau, your music and your life.

[danveldor]

You're right, I have not heard much music by Pablo Casals, nor know much about him, it's clear that the dictator of Spain was a bad person, I saw the flag of Catalonia :), the only place I went to Catalonia is Barcelona, a city that has a lot of culture, I loved it. but I always thought that music unites humanity and politics divides us.

[dikaiosyne9]

Youre right too, but, you see, not all the political ideas are the same: there are the aggresive ones, and there are the defensive ones. And in this matter there are much more than politic: there are a colonized nation. Visit again Catalonia, a wonderfoul country. Thank you for your understanding, and enjoy the music.

[emartiu]

@dikaiosyne9 Spanish people love Pau Casals. I´m spanish and I know that every one has an enormous respect for him!



[ulyssesjj]

@emartiu He would have contended he was Catalan...

[dikaiosyne9]

The great master Pau Casals would have never wanted his first name to be changed in Pablo. He always defended the rights of his nation, Catalonia, and amongst these, the linguistic rights, and his mother tongue, catalan. Please, if you really love his music, respect his memory and restaure here his real catalan first name: Pau Casals. [To be continued]

[medmai]

@dikaiosyne9 pesadets amb això del nom! el que és vertaderament important es com toca i es per això que es apreciat a tot el món no pel fet que fos català, espanyol o del Vendrell... sincerament penso que és important el seu origen, pero resulta secundari devant del seu art

[dikaiosyne9]

@medmai: Botiflerets amb això del nom! Honorar lart del mestre i honorar la seua memòria, les seues creences i la seua lluita és el mateix. Menystenir el seu codi de valors i les seues accions en defensa de la seua cultura és el propi dels pobles servils i sotmesos, just allò que ell no volia per a la seua pàtria.

[TheTradge]

Please don't insist that you're right when you couldn't be more wrong. Pau Casals was the mans real name, look it up it's common knowledge! Unless you know what you're talking about,, don't be rude to people like that, because you just end up looking like a moron!

[gorkythe45]

Impresive document of his great humanity is the letter at the end of the video.

[nacho293]

wonderfull

[paulostroff99]

Sinoniette-You are exactly right on in what you said.The man was named Pau,and the violinist that was he -was called Pablo.and not Pau Casals.

[paulostroff99]

Sinfonniette-Sounds like a great compromise.Were I as good as you on this I would still be married!! Ha,ha.

[paulostroff99]

It is one of the 2 best performances of this beautiful cello concerto,the other being with the legendary.Emmanuel Feuermann. I would not want to choose between them,only to say that Heifetz called Fuermann the greatest cellist that ever lived,but Pau (Pablo) has George Szell.

[meltzerboy]

I fully agree that Casals and Feuermann are the two greatest cellists we know of. Rostropovich and Piatigorsky are not too shabby either.

[hereintime1]

Thank you for your post. Many people know about Casals but many people including cellists have not heard of Feuermann. I am so glad that we have their recordings!

[paulostroff99]

Sinfoniette-Zonum1 is correct. Pau Gasol is presently a member of the champion L.A. Lakers,and wikipedia agrees on the correct name being Pau.

[acer4me]

In a note I had from Casals, he signed it "Pablo" Casals

[billyguns2]

Your sound source for this old recording is nothing short of fabulous! It sounds as well as I've heard it, clean as a whistle.

[billyguns2]

Ah, Szell! One of the great conductors. This is the best, freshest sounding Dvorak Cello Concerto I've heard. Oh, Casals isn't bad, either ;-)

[aewanko300]

Pau is a diminuitive form of Pablo.

[paulostroff99]

aewanko-No it is not.The correct name is Pau,and I suppose it is easier living as Pablo in a non Spanish world.

BTW-please forgive my brain for making me type violinist instead of cellist. When it was already too late to take it back I realized my terrible error. Before 1000 people write me of this I wish to make this known and apologize to all.

[Zonum1]

His real name was Pau... Franco imposed the Spanish names to all Catalan names. It's a shame that no one has ever fixed this travesty. He called himself "a Catalan". See his speech at the United Nations in 1971.

[ApsisApocynthion]

I love this concerto. Great use of the woodwinds.

[Sinfoniette]

And the brilliant cello part & some original recycling... ;)

[ApsisApocynthion]

These are very demanding cello solo sections in this concerto.

[Sinfoniette]

Yes, but its well worth it.

[RabidCh]

Not many recordings of Dvořák cello concerto I like but this is one of them. I think it's just way too popular and possibly overplayed in comparison to some other cello concerti.

[Sinfoniette]

The Dvorak can really go wrong if it goes the stereotypical conservatory way. I like the Boult/Rostropovich and the Casals/Szell. This recording made me love the Dvorak (I was never convinced by the Rostropovich/Karajan, Du Pre/Barbirolli(?)or Barenboim (?)), and anyway, it IS overplayed. I could sleep in my 23th listening this live in a concert.

P.S. What's your favorite cello concerto? My favorite is the Shostakovich, Haydn and Saint-Saens 1. The Haydn is particularly endearing to me.

[RabidCh]

Prokofiev Sinfonia Concertante-- the last stretch is spine-tingling if done right.

[RabidCh]

Of course it's not easy to find performances of the entire work that are even done right (there's only like, what less than several good recordings)... It's a jump musically and technically.

[cattleman6420012000]

Great to hear this!!