He was born on December 29th, 1876 in Vendrell by Barcelona.
His mother was a very good woman, and she was very important for him.
When Pablo was four years old, he learned to play the piano, the violin,the flute and the organ. At six years, he could play the organ in the church.
But one instrument fascinated him: a home-made-cello. His father had to make it for him. The Spanish cellist Jose Garcia gave a concert. Pablo heard the cello. He said to his father: „I want to play that!“.
When he was 11 years old, his mother went with him from Vendrell to Barcelona, to learn to play cello with Garcia for three years. At the age of fifteen, he couldn‘t learn more from Garcia. Casals had no teachers but his father Garcia and himself.
Through an acquaintance he met Count Morphy. He liked Casals very much. When Pablo was by Morphy, he had to play at the Royal Palace. He could learn in the Conservatory of Madrid. He lived in Madrid for two years. Count Morphy arranged for the Queen to give Pablo an allowance to continue his studies both in Madrid and later in Brussels.
So Pablo and his mother went to Belgium by train. But when he was at the conservatory, professor Jakobs wasn‘t very friendly. He was arrogant. Pablo was insulted publicly. Nobody could change his mind. So he went to Paris the next morning.
Musicians aren‘t rich. They are poor, and life was hard. Pablo found work in a theatre as second cellist. He earned a few francs a day.
Because of all his stress and his hard work, Casals got fever. Then he thought: „Paris isn‘t good for me. I‘d like to go to my father, to my home in warm, sunny Barcelona!“. When he returned to Barcelona, his life took a turn for the good.
Now Pablo was 21 years old, and he stayed in Barcelona for three years. He gave lessons at the Barcelona Opera Orchestra, he founded a string quartet.
And then he traveled to Madrid to see the Count. He set up a group of six people who played at the Casino of Espinjo in Portugal. At the end of his first summer at the Casino, he was invited by the King and Queen of Portugal to visit the palace in Lisbon. In the years, when he lived in Barcelona, he found his strength, and began make his name.
When he was 23, he returned to Paris. He applied as a good player by Lamoureux. Lamoureux was at first very inspired, but as Pablo started to play, he was very surprised and impressed. Pablo had to play with Lamoureux. With him he travelled around the world, which made him famous. He was very admired by the Parisian, but he had a bitter time, because Lamoureux died after his last concert with Pablo in January of 1900.
Pablo was a happy person, but he was serious-minded. When he was 14, he even considered suicide. At 25 years, he had to make a tour of the United States with Emma Nevada. But during his tour, his suffered a serious injury to his left hand. He fell on his hand and crushed some fingers. He thought: „Thank God, I must never play cello again!“ Of course he didn‘t hope to no more play the cello. Fortunately, after about 4 months, his left hand (and fingers) had healed, and he was able to continue his career.
When he was 24 years old, he returned to Europe. He formed a trio with his friends Alfred Cortot, the pianist, and Jacques Thiboud, the violinist. Some of those recordings are still available today. He traveled to Russia in 1905 (29 years old). It was a dangerous time to travel in Russia, because Russia had a war with Japan. In one of his concerts, the light was cut off. So he finished the concert by candle-light.
Casal‘s first wife was Susan Metcalfe, a famous person. They were married in the year 1914. Casal‘s admired his wife. He wrote to a friend: „A new life begins indeed for me, and one that will bring happiness.“ They gave concerts in America, Europe, England, Mexico and Cuba. Pablo accompanied her on the piano. Unfortunately they found that their careers were incompatible and so they separated after 14 years.
Pablo was now in the years a world traveler and he was very often not at home. But Barcelona was near and dear to his heart. It was his „hometown“. During the first World War he lived in New York City, but he returned to Barcelona in 1919. Barcelona is beautiful: the blue Mediterranean Sea, the countains. The weather can be warm in August and cool ihn January. The temperatures are moderated by thje sea and protected by the mountains. Casal’s love was forever for the music and not for the instrument that played it. When he was a child and he played the organ, his desire was to conduct the choir. When he was 17 years old, he experienced his first real conducting in Baracelona. Along his career he had to conduct many symphonies.
Casals always loved his country Spain and his hometown and his friends of Vendrell. He was happy to be a normal person and to be a famous cellist. Sometimes he would accompany on the piano. Sometimes he would dance on the beach with the children, He especially loved spending time with his nephews and nieces, his brother’s children. He thought about his old friends and associates. The people liked him.
I think Pablo was a very good cellist and piano player and he was a good man.
I wrote this biography because I play cello and I would like to tell about a famous cellist. I think this was a good opportunity!