"Who has not heard Casals does not know how can sound a stringed instrument" ...

... Said the conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler.
Dare develop Whoever does not listen to his interpretation of Beethoven sonatas he will receive all the expressive palette that is ensconced there, down to the smallest pianissimo?
And what magic in a single note held until silence at 12'37 in the "F major" opus 5. An example of "diminuendo to infinity", as the one that the Catalan cellist advised his students to Adagio conclude the funeral of Opus 102 No. 2 as an exhalation.

It is heard Rudolf Serkin play this sonata then Gregor Piatigorsky in 1920 in Berlin as Casals sized up the talent of the young Austrian pianist, so much that he invited him to the first season of the Festival de Prades. Under the sun Languedoc, recordings reissued here began July 31, 1951 in Perpignan with the opus 5 No. 2 (the Variations WoO 46 and 66 followed in August) and ended in May 1953 to Prades (the other four sonatas) .
In the same occasion, some years later, were captured for a handful of Philips Sonatas together with Mieczyslaw Horzowski with which Casals had already recorded four in 1939 for HMV (reissued once in a document collection EMI References and recently by Naxos) .

Here, with Serkin indéviablement concentrated in the rhythmic Animation: which invested fluidity of lines in the continuity of purpose. O how much better an accompaniment: a mountain guide (so close to the peaks in the Allegro of Opus 69) chisels closely what he designs high; a safeguard that would bring the most essential lost virtuoso prowess.
In fact, rare are the times when the cohesion of the duo unseal: in the Scherzo impetuous Sonata No. 3 (when intensifies the dialogue at the end of the episode A), the reliability of the keyboard allow the lyrical flight, but fearing the obstacles on the course, the rider does not move with the same audacity that his mount.

For the rest, Casals expresses his bow inimitable personality that does not need to tear the hair to mark an accent, or quavering vibrato to find eloquence. At the right hand, the variety of attacks and support seems inexhaustible, for a heady sound, peppermint, of kinky textures (Allegro irruption of the Sonata in C major!)

In these works are known cellists who sing, others argue, others are preparing. This one preaches with sincere faith even rudeness. You hear it even growling as to better motivate the ardor.
The truth of the character rather than beauty: tousled hair, that Beethoven unvarnished or wig!