Three autograph letters from the great Spanish composer, conductor, and cellist, one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, also well known as a humanitarian. All addressed "Chère Amie" and almost certainly to cellist Madeline Foley, each one page, dated 2 November, 1950; 11 April, 1953; 11 May, 1955. All sent from Prades, the later two both on letterhead of the Prades Festival, all with scattered staining, small creases and small tears around the edges.
The first letter, is translated in full: "Thank you for your note which moves me. Your friendly desire would be even better if things were going otherwise - the favorable ("restations"?) to Franco are not encouraging for me to visit America - in these unjustifiable conditions, an official invitation would be an insult to me. Affectionately and in profound acknowledgment, your Pablo Casals."
The second letter, is translated in full: "Only to tell you that it would be a joy for me to have you with us for the Festival and to play together beautiful music. Your, Pau Casals."
The final letter is translated in full: "Last January 16, you wrote to me a very kind letter. The same day, I lost what was most precious to me in my life. Since then, I have been unable to find myself - All is empty and confused in me. My friends have pushed me for the continuation of our Festivals. With the idea also that the disappeared was a friend of these music festivals - but will I be up to being strong enough to hold all this emotion and effort? I hug you. Pablo Casals."
In the 1950s, Spain was under the rule of Francisco Franco, a military general who led a dictatorship from 1939 until his death in 1975. In November 1950, the UN General Assembly revoked the 1946 resolution condemning Franco's regime. From that point on, western ambassadors returned to Spain. With the Cold War underway, the United States saw a high geostrategic value in Spain and did not take long to show its appreciation for our country.
Francesca Capdevila, Casals's second wife, died on 18th January [in the letter, he evidently misremembers] and Casals then traveled to Catalonia for the first time since his exile, to bury his wife in the cemetery of El Vendrell. After a brief visit to the house of Sant Salvador, he returned to Prades.
Madeline Foley (1923-1982) had been studying with Casals for two years before attending the first Prades Festival in 1950, and shared the first cello chairs with Tortelier in the Festival orchestra. During the summers 1950 to 1952, she and Eugene Istomin spent a great deal of time in Prades with Casals. From 1953 to 1955, they both assumed responsibility for the festival, with Istomin as artistic director and Madeline Foley acting as secretary of the American Executive Committee. In May 1953, they supervised all the recordings that Casals made for Columbia: four Beethoven sonatas with Serkin, two Beethoven trios with Istomin and Fuchs, the Brahms sonatas with Istomin and Horszowski (which in the end, were not released), and Schubert’s Fifth Symphony. Madeline Foley was particularly involved in the Schumann Cello Concerto. In addition, she played again in the orchestra together with Tortelier and shared out all the works which required a second cellist along with Casals. In 1952, she participated in the legendary recording of the Brahms First Sextet, while the Schubert Quintet D. 956 was entrusted to Tortelier.
Three autograph letters from the great Spanish composer, conductor, and cellist, one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, also well known as a humanitarian. All addressed "Chère Amie" and almost certainly to cellist Madeline Foley, each one page, dated 2 November, 1950; 11 April, 1953; 11 May, 1955. All sent from Prades, the later two both on letterhead of the Prades Festival, all with scattered staining, small creases and small tears around the edges.
The first letter, is translated in full: "Thank you for your note which moves me. Your friendly desire would be even better if things were going otherwise - the favorable ("restations"?) to Franco are not encouraging for me to visit America - in these unjustifiable conditions, an official invitation would be an insult to me. Affectionately and in profound acknowledgment, your Pablo Casals."
The second letter, is translated in full: "Only to tell you that it would be a joy for me to have you with us for the Festival and to play together beautiful music. Your, Pau Casals."
The final letter is translated in full: "Last January 16, you wrote to me a very kind letter. The same day, I lost what was most precious to me in my life. Since then, I have been unable to find myself - All is empty and confused in me. My friends have pushed me for the continuation of our Festivals. With the idea also that the disappeared was a friend of these music festivals - but will I be up to being strong enough to hold all this emotion and effort? I hug you. Pablo Casals."
In the 1950s, Spain was under the rule of Francisco Franco, a military general who led a dictatorship from 1939 until his death in 1975. In November 1950, the UN General Assembly revoked the 1946 resolution condemning Franco's regime. From that point on, western ambassadors returned to Spain. With the Cold War underway, the United States saw a high geostrategic value in Spain and did not take long to show its appreciation for our country.
Francesca Capdevila, Casals's second wife, died on 18th January [in the letter, he evidently misremembers] and Casals then traveled to Catalonia for the first time since his exile, to bury his wife in the cemetery of El Vendrell. After a brief visit to the house of Sant Salvador, he returned to Prades.
Madeline Foley (1923-1982) had been studying with Casals for two years before attending the first Prades Festival in 1950, and shared the first cello chairs with Tortelier in the Festival orchestra. During the summers 1950 to 1952, she and Eugene Istomin spent a great deal of time in Prades with Casals. From 1953 to 1955, they both assumed responsibility for the festival, with Istomin as artistic director and Madeline Foley acting as secretary of the American Executive Committee. In May 1953, they supervised all the recordings that Casals made for Columbia: four Beethoven sonatas with Serkin, two Beethoven trios with Istomin and Fuchs, the Brahms sonatas with Istomin and Horszowski (which in the end, were not released), and Schubert’s Fifth Symphony. Madeline Foley was particularly involved in the Schumann Cello Concerto. In addition, she played again in the orchestra together with Tortelier and shared out all the works which required a second cellist along with Casals. In 1952, she participated in the legendary recording of the Brahms First Sextet, while the Schubert Quintet D. 956 was entrusted to Tortelier.