Robert Casadesus

Casadesus Robert (7.04.1899 - 19.09.1972) - композитор, пианист.

Born in Paris. His father, Robert-Guillaume Casadesus (known as Robert Casa) entrusted him to his aunt Rose who gave him his first lessons and prepared him for the Conservatoire of Paris. After only one year of study with Louis Diémer (a pupil of Liszt) he won, at fourteen, a first prize for piano that was later followed by a first prize for harmony. Around that time, young Robert wrote his first compositions (Le Voyage Imaginaire) and gave his first recital, in 1917.

In 1920, he was awarded the Grand Prix Diémer, and in 1921 he married Gaby l"Hôte, also a pianist and pupil of Diémer.
He then began his first tour in Europe and met a great deal of musicians who had an impact on his life : Fauré, Ravel, Roussel (who dedicated his last work for piano to him), de Falla, Schmitt, and later, Albert Einstein.
In 1928, he inaugurated la Salle Pleyel in a concert with orchestra, and the following year, he gave a series of fifteen concerts in Moscow, while touring Russia .

In 1930, he made his firt recordings with Columbia, in Paris, while his career as a composer was developing : his Préludes pour piano were published in 1932 and he gave the first performance of his concerto for two pianos with Gaby in Warsaw.He then toured the whole world (Europe, the US, South America, Africa, Middle East)

In 1935, he became the head of the piano classes at the American Conservatoire at Fontainebleau which was founded by his uncle, Francis Casadesus. In 1936, he interpreted Brahms second concerto with the New-York Philharmonic, under the direction of Toscanini. The success of this recital led him to tour the US every year.

In 1941, he recorded the complete piano music of Ravel and Debussy with Columbia.
In 1946, he became director of the American Conservatoire at Fontainebleau.
In 1948, his second piano concerto was created with the New-York Philharmonic under the direction of Stokowsky.

In 1955, he made his first recordings with Zino Francescatti, his long-time friend. He also received the Grand Prix de l"Académie Charles Cros and the Grand Prix de l"Académie du Disque for his complete recording of Ravel.

In 1960, he began the recording of ten Mozart concertos with Georges Szell. In 1963, he toured Japan, participated in great events and generally enjoyed a frank success throughout the world. In 1971, he celebrated the 50 years of his career as a pianist, which consisted in 3000 concerts and 100 recordings.

Robert Casadesus died on 19 September 1972, shortly after the death of his son Jean, which was caused by a car accident in Canada.

Until her death in 1999, his wife Gaby perpetuates the memory of his work and of his life. It is now their son Guy who is continuing this mission by acting through the Robert Casadesus association.

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