Description
Presenting historical, rare recordings from 1920s, 1930s and 1940s in new transfers and remasterings, this FHR issue unites the only surviving (broadcast) recordings of Casella as an orchestral conductor and Casella performing on piano with orchestra.
From its first performance, Ireland's Piano Concerto was an immediate success and for 40 years it was considered the outstanding British piano concerto, performed by all the leading players of the day such as Clifford Curzon, Moura Lympany and Artur Rubinstein. This release coincides with the 100th anniversary of the birth of Annarosa Taddei, the pianist for the Ireland Piano Concerto on this recording.
The Cello Sonata of Ireland is one of his most deeply passionate and expressive works. The recording on this CD was issued on 78s in September 1929. Ireland is the pianist, and the cellist is the Catalan Antoni Sala.
Judging it to be one of his best pieces, Casella said of his Triple Concerto 'the great success my Concerto has met with right across Europe and both Americas' (North and South), recalling with particular enthusiasm the Trio Italiano's appearance with the 'prodigious' Boston Symphony Orchestra and their conductor Serge Koussevitzky early in 1936.