Chronicling nearly a century of music, Gaby Casadesus' MyMusical Notes, recounts the French pianist's remarkable career as half of one of the most extraordinary husband and wife teams in twentieth century classical music, with her husband Robert Casadesus. Told in a lively conversational tone, she evokes the delicate balance between touring and family life, maintaining her own solo career and traveling the world while raising three children. Her decades-long teaching imparted the stylistic legacy of Debussy, Faur? and Ravel, a personal friend to both Robert and Gaby, to generations of young pianists. In this memoir, we experience the bustling Paris of the 1920s and 30s as well as numerous adventures touring North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia while championing French piano repertoire as the internationally recognized duo Robert and Gaby Casadesus. She also details her encounters and collaborations with the greatest names of 20th century classical music: Faur?, Ravel, Stravinsky, Poulenc, Bruno Walter, Toscanini, Szell, Boulez, Bernstein as well as other celebrities of the era such as Albert Einstein, with whom she played Mozart, Elsa Schiaparelli, Juan Mir? and more. Translated and republished in English for the first time as My Musical Notes: Gaby Casadesus, A Journey in Classical Piano Between the World Wars and Beyond, this 2024 edition brings this legendary story to a larger audience.
Gaby Casadesus (1901-1999) was a French classical pianist and teacher born in Marseilles, France. Th?r?se Casadesus Rawson, PhD, is the daughter of the late French pianists Robert and Gaby Casadesus. She taught French language, literature, and diction for singers at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and lectures on all topics pertaining to French culture.
Consummate pianist, musician and teacher, Gaby Casadesus truly rises to the level of a musical legend. She represents a direct musical lineage to Chopin and transmitted through her playing and her teaching, the complete understanding of musical utterance from Bach to Debussy and Ravel. Distinctively French, Gaby in her exquisite refinement, made an indelible mark on the world of music. --Philip Lasser, distinguished professor at The Juilliard School Knowing and studying with Gaby Casadesus was one of the greatest privileges of my life. Gaby Casadesus was a major figure in the music world of the 20th century. She and her husband Robert got to know many of the most important composers and musicians of their time. In addition to being a fabulous pianist, Gaby Casadesus dedicated her entire life to transmission and she did it with the elegance and the generosity of a beautiful soul. A great lady! --Philippe Bianconi, Esteemed French concert pianist and prolific recording artist
