Enric Casals facts for kids

Enric Casals i Defilló (born July 26, 1892, in Barcelona, Spain – died July 31, 1986) was a talented Spanish violinist, composer, and conductor. He was also the brother of the famous musician, Pablo Casals.

Enric Casals' Musical Journey

Enric Casals began his music studies with his father, Carles Casals i Ribes. Later, he learned from Rafael Gálvez. To improve his skills, he traveled to Brussels. There, he studied violin with Mathieu Crickboom and composition with Joseph Jongen. In 1918, he moved to Prague to learn from František Suchý.

Touring Europe with His Quartet

In 1921, Enric Casals formed his own group, the "Enric Casals" String Quartet. This quartet traveled all over Europe, performing concerts in many countries. They played in France, Belgium, England, Switzerland, and Spain.

Playing in Famous Orchestras

Enric Casals was a solo violinist for several important orchestras. He played with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra from 1910 to 1912. He also performed with the Kurot Symphonische Orchester in Saint Petersburg from 1912 to 1914. Later, he joined the Pau Casals Orchestra (1920-1936) and the orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu (1924-1935).

Leading as a Conductor

Besides playing, Enric Casals was also a conductor. He was the assistant conductor for the Pau Casals Orchestra from 1920 to 1936. He also led the Orquestra Ibèrica de Concerts (1940-1942) and the Orquestra Professional de Cambra de Barcelona. With the latter, he conducted nearly one hundred concerts. He also guest-conducted other major orchestras around the world. These included national orchestras in Portugal, Mexico, Hungary, and Greece, as well as the Lamoureux Orchestra in Paris.

Teaching and Festivals

Enric Casals founded and directed the Musical Institute Casals. He was also in charge of the famous Prades Festivals for many years. He played a key role in these festivals, especially between 1955 and 1983.

What Music Did Enric Casals Write?

Enric Casals wrote many pieces of music. Here are some of his most important works:

• Violin Concerto
• Concerto for cello and orchestra
• Suite in D minor: Tribute to Pau Casals (1973), written for cello

Sardanes

A Sardana is a traditional Catalan folk dance. Enric Casals composed many of these lively pieces:

• A en Juli Garreta (1924), using the tune of Els Segadors
• Angoixa (date unknown), also with the tune of Els Segadors
• Barcelona (1976)
• Catalunya avant (1910), with popular melodies like Rossinyol que vas a França
• Cants de tardor (Autumn Songs)
• Dramàtica, written for orchestra
• Era una vegada (Once Upon a Time) (1935)
• Festa (Party) (1920)
• La font del Penedès (The Fountain of Penedès) (1954)
• Heroica (Heroic) (1919), dedicated to his brother Pablo
• Íntima (Intimate) (1920)
• Lleida a la Verge de Granyena (1976), for choir and cobla (a traditional Catalan band)
• Lluny...! (Far Away...!) (1918), written in Montevideo
• La mainada de Sant Salvador (The Children of Sant Salvador) (1928), using the tunes of Senyor Ramon and El General Bum-Bum
• Montserrat en primavera (Montserrat in Spring) (1968), a special request piece with Montserrat melodies
• Mònica
• La nena galana (The Elegant Girl) (1908)
• La platja de Sant Salvador (Sant Salvador Beach), another name for La mainada de Sant Salvador
• Recordant Conrad Saló (Remembering Conrad Saló), another name for Íntima
• Sardana de carrer (Street Sardana) (1927)
• La sardana dels Tres Reis (The Sardana of the Three Kings) (1983), for choir and cobla
• Setembre (September) (1924)
• Tarragona (1927)
• Tres amors (Three Loves) (1949)
• Trista (Sad) (1925)
• El Vendrell (1948)

Orchestral Arrangements

Enric Casals also arranged other composers' works for orchestras.

• Juny (June), by Juli Garreta, arranged for symphony orchestra

Arrangements of Pablo Casals' Works

He also arranged some pieces by his famous brother, Pablo Casals:

• El cant dels ocells (The Song of the Birds), a popular Catalan song arranged by Pablo Casals
• Himne de les Nacions Unides (United Nations Anthem)
• El Pessebre (The Manger), an oratorio
• Sant Martí del Canigó, a sardana

See also

In Spanish: Enric Casals para niños