Don Satz:

>Chandos ...[is releasing] three symphonies from the pen of Robert
>Casadesus - nos. 1, 5, and 7. Not being at all familiar with his music,
>could anyone on the list give me an idea of his soundworld and style.

I have a CD with his Sextet for Piano & Winds; Concerto for 3 Pianos &
Orchestra (w. Orch.  des Concerts Colonne/Dervaux); Sonata #2 for Violin
& Piano (w.Zino Francescatti); Three Mediterranean Dances for 2 Pianos;
Toccata* Op.40.  (Robert Casadesus, piano; w.  Gaby & Jean* Casadesus)
(SONY/CBS 5054852)

It strikes me as enjoyable though largely conservative tonal French music
from the mid-20th century: imaginative and well put together, yet lacking
in something special to grip the interest, or to set me out hunting for
more.

As for saying it's merely 'well'-crafted: it surprises me that such a
laudable pianist would set the left hand's rhythmic pulse for the first
of the 3 Dances to such a wearing lack of variance.  Mind you, that the
exception: the other 2 Dances are more winning, the former has passages
of quiet meditation, and given the latter's nicely-modulated convolutions.
The Violin Sonata has moments of genuine sweetness, as well as a
part-pizzicato movement with more than a few enjoyable passages ('though
I confess a partiality to the playing of both Francescatti and Casadesus).
The Sextet also appealed, occasionally suggesting close attention paid
to Poulenc, given the complex harmonies yet overall transparency.  I
also enjoy the nicely-shaped PC, which is strictly lightweight so not
for those after Teutonic grandiosity.

Enjoyable and even impressive as it sometimes is, I still find that this
music lacks a sense of adventure or a critical mass of authorial tics
or quirks to give it distinctiveness, or to make it especially memorable.
No accident, then, that the composer who comes most often to mind when
listening to this CD is Darius Milhaud, a composer with many nice moments
and a few striking ones, but with whose music I've never known anyone
to feel a passionate connection.

Mind you, being at least well-crafted and within my area of main interest,
20th/21st century CM, I'll probably look twice when I see this new release
in the bins, and consider how it stacks up against the CDs I've gathered
during that visit.  For our musical pleasure, let's hope my sampling's
not very telling, and that his symphonies are a big treat in store for
us.  Having composed seven of them, who knows if they may be Casadesus'
medium after all.

Bert Bailey