Mozart Concertos with Gaby Casadesus

Gaby Casadesus (1901-99) never became as famous as her husband Robert, but she was a distinguished pianist in her own right. Today we have two examples of her art in the form of Mozart concerto recordings from the 1940s. Both were done in Paris for the Polydor label. I transferred them from American Vox LP pressings in my collection.

Concerto No. 9 in E flat, K.271

The Piano Concerto No. 9 was for many years called the "Jeunehomme" concerto because it was thought to have been written for a young man. Today it is known to have been written for a young woman, Victoire Jenamy, so now it is sometimes named in her honor.

Regardless of its subtitle, many critics consider it one of Mozart's first masterpieces, written when he was just 21. Casadesus does well both with the spritely outer movements, and particularly with the lovely slow movement. Some critics complained that she was clattery in the fast passages, but this was likely the effect of the recording, made in what sounds to be a small hall, and particularly the Vox pressing, which was a half-step sharp.

Paul Paray

The backing by the Lamoureux Orchestra is alert, if hardly glamorous. Here the ensemble is conducted by Paul Paray (1886-1979), who was its director in the 1920s. The recording is from 1947.

Today Mozart's piano concertos are heard more often (at least on record) as they were in the 1940s. Casadesus' only competition on disc was Walter Gieseking. Today the retailer Presto Music lists 168 recordings (or at least releases) of the work.

Concerto No. 25 in C major, K.503

The Concerto No. 25 is generally thought to be one of the composer's masterworks in the genre, although it was neglected for many years.

When Casadesus recorded it in 1949, there were two other recordings on the market, those of Kathleen Long and Edwin Fischer. These days Presto offers 171 such discs.

Eugène Bigot

Casadesus' performance again is very good; she is equally adept at the fast and slow movements; here shining in the difficult finale.

The orchestral support is again reliable, again with the Lamoureux Orchestra, this time conducted by its then-current music director, Eugène Bigot (1888-1965).

The recording is from the Salle Pleyel and is good for its time, although the pressing was again a half-step sharp. The surfaces on both records were abysmal, and there is some minor residual noise, which should only be noticeable on headphones.