Pablo Casals

[scruffy1]

Pablo Casals was a Spanish Catalan cellist and conductor. He is generally regarded as the pre-eminent cellist of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest cellists of all time.
Casals was an ardent supporter of the Spanish Republican government, and after its defeat vowed not to return to Spain until democracy was restored. Casals performed at the Gran Teatre del Liceu (La Rambla, Barcelona of course!) on October 19, 1938, possibly his last performance in Catalonia before his exile.
He settled in the French Catalan village of Prada de Conflent, near the Spanish Catalan border; between 1939 and 1942 he made sporadic appearances as a cellist in the unoccupied zone of southern France and in Switzerland. So fierce was his opposition to the dictatorial regime of Francisco Franco in Spain that he refused to appear in countries that recognized the authoritarian Spanish government. He made a notable exception when he took part in a concert of chamber music in the White House on November 13, 1961, at the invitation of President John F. Kennedy, whom he admired.
Very nice Scruff, but why here? What does Pablo Casals have to do with the Camino?
As you enter Astorga, up the hill and just past that first hostel(don't be tempted) is a large "garden/park". It is, alas, all thats left of the Jewish cemetery in Astorga marked by a plaque near the entrance. In the middle of this area is a small bandstand like structure with another dedication plaque, "Here Pablo Casals Gave a Concert 1930-something" . There is also a Paseo del la Sinagoga in Astorga where once there was a synagogue and a thriving Jewish community-abandoned in 1492 of course.

 

[MTtoCamino]

Pablo Casals was a Spanish Catalan cellist and conductor. He is generally regarded as the pre-eminent cellist of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest cellists of all time.
Casals was an ardent supporter of the Spanish Republican government, and after its defeat vowed not to return to Spain until democracy was restored. Casals performed at the Gran Teatre del Liceu (La Rambla, Barcelona of course!) on October 19, 1938, possibly his last performance in Catalonia before his exile.
He settled in the French Catalan village of Prada de Conflent, near the Spanish Catalan border; between 1939 and 1942 he made sporadic appearances as a cellist in the unoccupied zone of southern France and in Switzerland. So fierce was his opposition to the dictatorial regime of Francisco Franco in Spain that he refused to appear in countries that recognized the authoritarian Spanish government. He made a notable exception when he took part in a concert of chamber music in the White House on November 13, 1961, at the invitation of President John F. Kennedy, whom he admired.
Very nice Scruff, but why here? What does Pablo Casals have to do with the Camino?
As you enter Astorga, up the hill and just past that first hostel(don't be tempted) is a large "garden/park". It is, alas, all thats left of the Jewish cemetery in Astorga marked by a plaque near the entrance. In the middle of this area is a small bandstand like structure with another dedication plaque, "Here Pablo Casals Gave a Concert 1930-something" . There is also a Paseo del la Sinagoga in Astorga where once there was a synagogue and a thriving Jewish community-abandoned in 1492 of course.

I will add it to my notes to Stop & check it out
Thanks

 

[scruffy1]

Actually its pretty barren, there is a place or two on the promanade where if you hiold your head just right there is a nice view. Only for music buffs or a place of memorial for those who may wish to say a prayer for the long vanished dead.

 

[annelise]

Scruffy, I actually heard and saw Pablo Casals in concert in Copenhagen as late as sometime between 1967 - 1969 (the exact year escapes me) - and he was certainly still going strong even though rather old at the time. He was totally alone on stage for the whole concert. It was amazing - and of course the reason that I have never forgotten.

annelise

 

[Deleted member 36903]

Thank you Scruffy1 for starting this thread. Although we can no longer have the pleasure of listening to Casals, there is another Catalan musician who members of the forum who haven't yet discovered him might want to check out some of his performances available on the internet. Jordi Savall, who plays the viola da gamba, has made it his life's work (together with his late wife, the magnificent soprano Montserrat Figueras) to revive early music, especially that by Spanish composers from the Rennaissance. His recordings of Diego Ortiz's compositions are sublime. More importantly, in the context of this forum, he and his wife have, like the Camino, brought together people from all over the world, all faiths and none, in their belief that music can be a powerful tool for fostering understanding between different cultures. His 'Jerusalem: City of the Two Peaces being a fine example of this. Closer to the Camino he has recorded early music from Galicia, the Libre Vermell, which comprises sacred and secular music for pilgrims to montserrat. I listen to the first track with church bells and the cock crowing and am immediately transported back to all those early morning starts after leaving the albergue.

 

[Deleted member 36903]

The Libre Vermell is from Catalonia not Galicia, there should have been a semi-colon there, apologies.

 

[scruffy1]

Jordi Savalls and Montserrat Figueras are among my favorites - I attended a series of concerts he gave three years ago at Abbey of Fontfroide in France. I like his reconstructions of the ancient musical instruments though his cello looks more like a cigar box on a broom handle he produces amazing music. Montserrat Figueras is divine.

 

[Deleted member 36903]

Thank you for your reply Scruffy1 and I am delighted to find a fellow Savall, Figueras, Hesperion XXl fan on the forum. The 'cigar box on a broom handle' you mention sounds like his viol da gamba made in the 17th century (in London, I think). I'm very envious of your trip to the concerts at Abbey of Fontfroide. This year I saw him perform in Dijon the night before I travelled to SJPP to start my walk to SDC. I have been looking at options of walking the Le Puy route next year that might enable me to attend his concerts at Fontfroide, but decided that walking from Barcelona, via Montserrat and somehow on to Narbonne might be a better way of combining the two loves.