Henri Casadesus
Henri Casadesus was a prominent musician and composer, known for his contributions to early music and his unique ability to blend styles from different eras. Born into a musically gifted family, he was educated at the Paris Conservatory, where he honed his skills in music history and viola. Casadesus was an active performer, notably as a violist in the Capet Quartet and later as the director of the Théâtre de la Gaîté-Lyrique in Paris. He was instrumental in the early music revival, co-founding the Société des Instruments Anciens, which performed works by forgotten composers and helped popularize the viola d'amore.
Casadesus's compositional output included operettas, ballet music, and concertos, often attributing his works to esteemed composers like Handel, which led to his reputation as a masterful musical forger. His notable pieces, such as the "Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in B Minor," showcase his understanding of Baroque styles, even as they reflect a nineteenth-century perspective. Casadesus's legacy lies not only in his performances and compositions but also in his role in promoting historical performance practices, making him a significant figure in early music during the first half of the twentieth century.
Subject Terms
Henri Casadesus
French classical composer and arranger
- Born: September 30, 1879
- Birthplace: Paris, France
- Died: May 31, 1947
- Place of death: Paris, France
A member of an illustrious French family of musicians, Casadesus founded the Société des Instruments Anciens, dedicated to the performance and dissemination of early music. He was a notable advocate of the viola d’amore, reviving the instrument’s popularity.
The Life
Henri Casadesus (kas-ah-DEE-sus) was the son of Louis Casadesus, an amateur violinist and guitarist. Seven of Louis’s children became professional musicians, including Francis, founder and director of the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau, and Robert, a pianist and composer. Casadesus was educated at the Paris Conservatory, where he studied music history with Albert Lavignac and viola with Théophile Laforge.
Between 1910 and 1917, Casadesus was violist for the Capet Quartet. He also served as director of the Théâtre de la Gaîté-Lyrique in Paris and the opera theater of Liège, Belgium. With bassist Edouard Nanny, Casadesus performed concerts of early music, leading to the formation of the Société des Instruments Anciens Casadesus in 1901. Camille Saint-Saëns was named honorary president.
The group’s membership included, at various times, Casadesus’s brothers Marcel and Marius on viola da gamba and pardessus de viole and his sister, Regina Patorni-Casadesus, on harpsichord. Another brother, Francis, occasionally conducted the group. Their repertoire included “rediscovered” works of old masters and lesser known composers such as François Francœeur and Jean-Joseph Mouret. Many of these works were likely composed by Casadesus and other members of the group. Casadesus amassed a large collection of musical instruments, some of which he sold to the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1926.
The Music
Casadesus’s notable works are those that he wrote and attributed to early composers, such as George Frideric Handel and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. In this sense, he was much like his contemporary Fritz Kreisler, the great violinist, who also composed works in the style of other composers and did not acknowledge who had created them. Casadesus also wrote operettas, ballet music, film scores, songs, and a method for viola d’amore. In general he was a master of late-Baroque styles, but his music, forged and otherwise, recounts these historical genres from a nineteenth century perspective. His operettas are derivative of the works of Jacques Offenbach but possess a classical bent with clear textures and lyric content.
Le Rosier. Set to a libretto by Maurice Devilliers, a member of the Société des Instruments Anciens, the work premiered in 1923 at the Liège Opera and later, in Paris, at the Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques in 1925. The operetta was one of several similar works composed by Casadesus after World War I, likely to raise money for the financially strapped musician. Set in three acts with an obligatory ballet, the work is well crafted if not derivative. Stylistically, Le Rosier recalls nineteenth century opéra bouffe, including a cancan and alternating vocal combinations with ensembles. Casadesus employs chromaticism and nonharmonic tones strategically throughout but never at the expense of tonal clarity and lyrical melodies.
Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in B Minor. Originally published in 1924 as a work by Handel, subsequent analysis has determined that it is a work by Casadesus in the style of Handel. Written for viola and orchestra, the work has been transcribed for a number of other instruments, and its popularity is evidenced by performances by the famous violist William Primrose and by its appearance in the Suzuki-method canon. The work enjoyed significant fame as a Handel concerto until its true origins were discovered in the 1950’s, and it demonstrates that Casadesus had a masterly command of the Handel compositional style.
Set in three movements, the concerto possesses the virtuosic, the expressive, and the rhythmic vitality inherent in many works of its kind. In typical Baroque concerto fashion, the first movement is built on rapid sixteenth-note figures weaving in and out of closely related tonalities. The second movement is slow and expressively lyrical, with a simple but emotionally rich melody. The last movement is lively and playful, with continuous motion throughout.
Twenty-four Preludes for Viola d’Amore and Harp. Published in 1931 as part of the Technique de la viole d’amour, an instructional method for the instrument, the preludes span the gamut of Baroque compositional styles. Though the music is historically derived, the works are well crafted and musically charming, highlighting Casadesus’s unique compositional abilities.
Concerto for Viola in C Minor. This concerto was performed by the Société des Instruments Anciens and eventually published in 1947. It was attributed to Johann Christian Bach until further stylistic research led to the conclusion that it was written by Casadesus. The work is characterized less by the gallant style that one might expect from Bach and more by rich Romantic textures.
The first and last movements are characterized by rapid rhythmic figurations, and the middle movement is slower and more lyrical. The opening allegro has a vibrant and dramatic theme shared by orchestra and solo, accompanied by richly textured harmonies. The slow adagio is expressive, with a highly ornamented melody. The last movement is in the style of a gigue, with a solo voice performing energetic arpeggiations capped with a climactic cadenza.
Musical Legacy
Although his performance style was embedded in a Romantic conception of early music, Casadesus was an important figure in the historic performance movement of the first half of the twentieth century. As leader of the Société des Instruments Anciens, he brought the music of early composers to audiences around the world. He played a significant role in the rebirth of the viola d’amore by promoting it as an expressive musical instrument and not merely a museum piece. His compositions for the instrument reflected an impressive creative gift and musicality. Casadesus’s uncanny talent for mimicry assured his legacy as a first-rate musical forger. He mastered the style of the late Baroque and presented his own work as that of older masters. His contributions to operetta demonstrated a high level of craftsmanship and command of this entertaining genre.
Principal Works
operetta (music): Le Rosier, 1923 (libretto by Maurice Devilliers).
orchestral works: Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in B Minor, 1924; Twenty-four Preludes for Viola d’Amore and Harp, 1931; Concerto for Viola in C Minor, 1947.
vocal works:La Sommeilleuse, 1949; Sur les jolis ponts de Paris, 1949.
Principal Recordings
album (as arranger): Maurice Maréchal Book 3, 1998.
Bibliography
Haskell, Harry. The Early Music Revival: A History. London: Thames & Hudson, 1988. Examines Casadesus’s role in the evolution of the early music movement.
IBM Gallery of Science and Art. The Casadesus Collection of Old Musical Instruments. New York: IBM Gallery of Science and Art, 1964. A detailed description of the portion of Casadesus’s instrument collection sold to the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1926. Includes background information on how Casadesus assembled the collection.