t he l egacy of c assado and c hieko ♪ copyright © 2007 june grandwells. all rights reserved

THE LEGACY OF

CASSADO AND CHIEKO♪

Copyright © 2007 June Grandwells. All rights reserved.

The news that broke in the spring of 2004 was considered sensational by the scholars of J. S. Bach. The original parts’ copy of Bach’s Vergnügte Pleissen-Stadt BWV 216, known as ‘The Wedding Cantata', written in 1728, had just been rediscovered, alongside Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s autograph score of Die erste Walpurgisnacht - Ballade von Goethe für Chor und Orchester Opus 60. Having last been documented in the 1920s in the possession of an heir of Mendelssohn's, their whereabouts since had been a mystery. And yet more surprisingly, they were found among bequests of June’s Grandaunt.

NextPreviousCopyright © 2007 June Grandwells. All rights

reserved.

It was this grandaunt, Chieko Hara, of whom Alfred Cortot said, “she is a true artist.” Having studied with Lazare Lévy, she became the first Japanese ever to win the Premier Prix at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique de Paris in 1932, and served Cortot as his assistant.

MUSICAL INHERITANCE

Chieko was awarded a Special Second Prize at the International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in 1937, specially provided for her after chaotic booing from the audience greeted her non-selection as the prize‑winner. This incident is often misconceived. It has been claimed that the audience was so critical because Chieko was wearing a Kimono at the competition. Chieko, however, only wore the Kimono on request, at the concert after the award presentation. She was praised as “a miracle of the Orient” by her European critics.


reserved.

Meanwhile, Gaspar Cassadó, who would later change both Chieko’s professional and personal life completely, was at the height of his career.

Cassadó, born in Barcelona, 30 September 1897, had studied the cello under Pablo Casals, and composition under Manuel de Falla and Maurice Ravel.

Cassadó’s international career was soon flourishing. While performing with the leading artists of the century such as Furtwängler, Weingartner, Beecham, Mengelberg, Hubermann, Szigeti, Menuhin, Rubinstein, Bauer, Iturbi et al, he provided tremendous support for the foundation of the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena in 1932.

He was eventually taken under Giulietta Gordigiani von Mendelssohn’s wing, and settled in Florence in 1934.


reserved.

The accusations were proved to be totally groundless and unjustified when it became apparent that Cassadó had spent much of the war giving concerts at the National Gallery in Great Britain. Today, therefore, some suggest that Casals, who was on the verge of retirement, feared Cassadó might soon usurp his popularity in the United States.

However, by a cruel twist of fate, his decision to stay in the country during the civil conflict, and also Madame von Mendelssohn’s suspected connection with Mussolini invited attacks on Cassadó by Casals, whom Cassadó regarded as an inspirational father.


reserved.

Cassadó was always faithful to music and to his audience. He was praised for, “playing Bach with proud, flamboyant romanticism,” “blending his playful sense of imagination into the most classical of aesthetics, and “refining his playing until he achieved the exquisite eloquence and purity of phrasing.”

Despite such tragic experience, Cassadó showed limitless compassion for those in need. He made an immense contribution to the cultural revival in Florence after the war. One of his pupils’ story also illustrates his loving personality; “He did not take lesson fees from us, he said, because he was earning from performing.”


reserved.

Ultimately though, Cassadó’s career was irreversibly damaged; perhaps, it suffered most from his loss of the contract with Columbia Records.

Cassadó’s close association with the known anti‑fascist, Dallapiccola seems to support this account, whereas Menuhin, an enthusiastic peace maker, is said to have defended Cassadó, describing him as a generous and spirited gentleman with an innocently trusting nature.


reserved.

Cassadó and Chieko kindled their mutual respect during her first post‑war European tour, which included Belgium, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Great Britain, following her concerto début in Paris in 1953.

They exchanged letters, between 1954 and 1955, communicating their plans for the future; Cassadó would visit Japan and there would be many more concerts in Europe for Chieko…

However, Cassadó could not possibly have left his aging patron, Madame von Mendelssohn alone for the duration of the concert tour.


reserved.

Time passed, and Madame von Mendelssohn departed this life. When Cassadó received the invitation to a music festival in Japan in 1958, there was no more hesitation. Throughout the festival, he was attended by Chieko, his official accompanist and translator.

Here at the festival, they nurtured the idea of a new partnership. For Cassadó, forming a duo with the rising star would offer him a chance to rebuild his career, and for Chieko, this would give her a permanent base in Europe, she had once been forced to leave during the war.


reserved.

Over time, the musical alliance between the two, mature yet passionate artists was gradually overwhelmed by their personal attachment.

Predictably, this legendary virtuoso, Gasper Cassadó, who had inherited Bach’s original copy from Madame von Mendelssohn, gave the manuscript to his wife, Chieko, as a wedding gift when they married in 1959.


reserved.

Behind the façade of newly wedded bliss, though, Chieko was spending unimaginable time and effort to retrain herself. She had to transform her style from that of concert pianist into Cassadó’s perfect partner. When Duo Cassadó finally made their début in Vienna in 1962, Chieko was portrayed as a charming butterfly, dancing between flowers.


reserved.

Thereafter, Cassadó worked more tirelessly than ever. He gave concerts in Russia in 1963, and in the following year in London, he premièred six Boccherini sonatas; this was exciting, not only because of the works being the latest discovery, but also because the Stradivari used had once been owned by the composer. Between performances, Cassadó taught at Musikhochschule in Cologne and Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena. Among several recordings Cassadó made with Menuhin, Mozart Piano Quartets, recorded shortly after he served as a juror at the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1966 were talked of, and with particular enthusiasm, by his trusted associate.


reserved.

After the catastrophic flood in Florence in November 1966, Cassadó committed himself to raising funds to aid the city’s recovery. Despite fatigue, he insisted on going ahead with the Christmas concert in Portugal. Chieko later explained his reason to June’s mother, echoing Cassadó, “People have been looking forward to coming to the concert since they bought the tickets months ago. A cancellation is out of the question.”


reserved.

This sincerity provoked a rapid deterioration in his own health. Sadly, he was unable to celebrate his 70th birthday, performing Brahms’ Double Concerto with Oistrakh and Rostropovich (conductor) in Kiev as arranged. He died, away from home, at a hotel in Madrid, on 24 December 1966.

It is ironic that this day, which was supposed to be doubly celebratory for Chieko (her birthday was on 25 December), became a day of grief.

Chieko never seemed to have completely come to terms with Cassadó’s death; she later revealed to June’s mother her innermost emotion, bitterly reproaching herself for not having prevented Cassadó from travelling to Portugal at all costs, as if she had been responsible for his death.

Yet, she spent years, dedicating herself, not only to the preservation of Cassadó’s legacy, but also to disseminating it to the next generation, until she passed away on 9 December 2001.


reserved.

Cassadó was genuinely fond of June’s mother, his niece, and expressed his wish to adopt her. Had it not been for the two sons Chieko already had from her previous marriage, his surname would have been preserved by his granddaughter, ‘Ms June Cassadó.’


REFERENCES:

JUNE GRANDWELLS

(2004)

“Memoirs”

Private Collection

ANNABEL MARTIN-BAH

(2003)

“Interview with June Grandwells”

MisterPinEd Ltd

JEAN‑CHARLES HOFFELÉ

(1997)

“A Disciple of Casals?”

Cassadó’s CD Cover by Dante Production 1997

JEAN FONDA FOURNIER

(1997)

“Some Personal Memories about Caspar Cassadó”

Cassadó’s CD Cover by Dante Production 1997

YASUKO ISHIKAWA

(1996) October Edition

“Chieko Hara – Her Exquisite yet Nostalgic Finale”

Shinchōsha Publishing

“Alfred Cortot”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Cortot

“Arthur Rubinstein”

http://www.arims.org.il/artist.htm

“Lazare Lévy”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazare_L%C3%A9vy

“Yehudi Menuhin”

http://www.yehudimenuhin.com/

http://www.menuhin-foundation.com/

“Luigi Dallapiccola”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luigi_Dallapiccola

http://www.istrianet.org/istria/illustri/dallapiccola/

http://www.naxos.com/composerinfo/6541.htm

“Gaspar Cassadó”

http://www.cello.org/Newsletter/Articles/cassado/cassado.htm

http://www.macmcclure.com/compositors/cassado/bioeng.html

http://www.sospeso.com/contents/composers_artists/cassado.html

http://www.celloheaven.com/viewtopic.php?p=163&sid=a79ab26b8658b68790f0233ede167204

“Rediscovery of Missing Bach Score”

http://newsfromrussia.com/science/2004/04/03/53191.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4895029-110427,00.html

http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/1659.html

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1526316,00.html

“Rediscovery of Mendelssohn Score”

http://www.omifacsimiles.com/brochures/mendel_w.html

EDITED BY:

EUGENE RYAN

IMAGES:

Antique Frames

www.antiqueframes.eu

Wallpaper

www.wallpaperdirect.co.uk

CD Cover (Mainichi Classics MNCL 104)

“Bach’s Score”

IMS

CD Cover (DENON COCQ83850)

“Chieko ”

Columbia Music Entertainment

“Alfred Cortot”

http://www.geocities.com/alfredcortot/index.html


“Chieko at Chopin Competition”


Newspaper Cutting (Year Unknown)

“Chieko and Rubinstein”

Source Unknown

CD Cover (Vox Legends CDX2 5502)

“Cassadó”

Vox Legends

CD Cover (Dante Productions LYS 188)

“Cassadó”

Dante Productions

“Dallapiccola”

http://www.compositiontoday.com/articles/dallapiccola.asp

“Menuhin”

http://www.yehudimenuhin.com/?page=theLegacy/index.html

CD Cover (Vox Box CDX2 5522)

“Cassadó”

Vox Box


“Cassadó and Chieko”



t he l egacy of c assado and c hieko ♪ copyright © 2007 june grandwells. all rights reserved

Documents