Former list member Teri Noel Towe wrote to me this afternoon with the
following information; posted here with his permission:

   It is possible that you have already been informed by members of your
   list who reside in France, but, just in case, I write to share with
   you the sad news that the eminent French pianist Gaby Casadesus died
   at her home in Paris on Friday, 12 November, at the age of 97.

   She had recently returned to her Paris apartment after an extended
   visit to the United States in September and October during which she
   was the most significant guest at a series of public concerts and
   other events marking the centenary of the birth of her husband and
   duo-pinao partner, Robert.

   I had the honor and the pleasure of knowing this wonderful lady for
   more than 30 years, and, at our next to last meeting, on October 12,
   she honored me and another mutual friend by playing a short piece by
   Gabriel Faure, whom she had known as a young woman.  The playing was
   beautiful beyond description - clean, crisp, warm, supple, and
   exquisitely phrased.

   With Gaby Casadesus dies the last important link to Debussy, Faure,
   Ravel, and numerous others.

   I cannot close without remarking on the eerie coincidence that Felix
   Galimir, who played in the lengendary Polydor-Vox recording of the
   Ravel Quartet that Ravel himself supervised, died just days earlier.

   I am told that an obituary of Gaby Casadesus will appear in The New
   York Times tomorrow or Thursday.

   Please feel free to share the sad news of Gaby's passing to the list,
   if you have not already done so.

   My best!

   Teri Noel Towe

Dave
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