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Joys and Sorrows: Reflections by Pablo Casals
"For me the existence of Pablo Casals is a source of joy," wrote Thomas Mann. "He is one of those artists who come to the rescue of humanity's honor." Perhaps no other artist of our time has so combined supreme creativity with uncompromising humanism. Hence the appearance of this work constitutes an event of historic import. For here is Pablo Casals' first book in his more than ninety years-a book, entirely in the gentle poetry of his words, in which he reflects upon our troubled age and recounts the stirring saga of his own extraodinary life.
Casals' story has an epic quality. Set in an era of massive turbulence and change, it is the story of a man's passionate pursuit of beauty and justice in a world racked by revolutions and wars. It is a story whose protagonist performed for Queen Victoria in the late 1800's and for President John F. Kennedy shortly before man set foot on the moon. It is the story of a consummate musician who silences his instrument to articulate his love of man; of a fervent patriot who protests iniquity by exiling himself from his beloved homeland for a third of his years; of a man who when nearing ninety embarks on a personal peace crusade, taking his music to a score of lands.
Across the stage of this drama move peasants and celebrated artists, students and statesmen, anarchists and kings. Its pages are peopled with a host of fascinating characters-the vastly erudite authority on Spanish music Count de Morphy (whose father was an Irishman named Murphy); the frenetically eccentric composer Emanuel Moor; the dazzling virtuoso-who never practiced-Pablo Sarasate; the "sturdy young woman who was studying medicine" when Casals first met her, Gertrude Stein; the gay and gentle genius Fritz Kreisler, wounded as a soldier in the First World War; the fantastic and adventurous prodigy Isaac Albeniz; the nonconformist Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, Exquistite and iron-willed; the noble humanist from Lambarene, Albert Schwietzer. It is a story that takes the reader on a fabulous odyssey from remote villages of Catalonia to the royal court of Madrid, from Paris of La belle epoque to the Wild West of America, from the concert halls of the world's captials to the concentration camps of Nazi-occupied France, from the shores of the Mediterranean to the flowering mountains of Puerto Rico. It is a story that culminates in the ineffably tender account of Casals' love for Marta, his lovely young wife and co-worker. Above all, surmounting the viloence and cynicism of our time, it is a story of human compassion, reverence for beauty, and faith in man.
In his Prefatory Note, Albert E. Kahn-to whom Casals relates the thoughts and recollections in this book-states that this work should not be termed an autobiography, It is, indeed, a book which fits no formal category. it is both a testament and a song: a testament to a way of life and a song to life itself.
Joys and Sorrows is illustrated with more than 50 pages of hitherto unpublished documents, rare musical memorabilia, correspondence with president Kennedy, Albert Schweitzer and others, and a protfolio of uniquely intimate contemporary photographs of Casals by Albert E. Kahn.
Casals' story has an epic quality. Set in an era of massive turbulence and change, it is the story of a man's passionate pursuit of beauty and justice in a world racked by revolutions and wars. It is a story whose protagonist performed for Queen Victoria in the late 1800's and for President John F. Kennedy shortly before man set foot on the moon. It is the story of a consummate musician who silences his instrument to articulate his love of man; of a fervent patriot who protests iniquity by exiling himself from his beloved homeland for a third of his years; of a man who when nearing ninety embarks on a personal peace crusade, taking his music to a score of lands.
Across the stage of this drama move peasants and celebrated artists, students and statesmen, anarchists and kings. Its pages are peopled with a host of fascinating characters-the vastly erudite authority on Spanish music Count de Morphy (whose father was an Irishman named Murphy); the frenetically eccentric composer Emanuel Moor; the dazzling virtuoso-who never practiced-Pablo Sarasate; the "sturdy young woman who was studying medicine" when Casals first met her, Gertrude Stein; the gay and gentle genius Fritz Kreisler, wounded as a soldier in the First World War; the fantastic and adventurous prodigy Isaac Albeniz; the nonconformist Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, Exquistite and iron-willed; the noble humanist from Lambarene, Albert Schwietzer. It is a story that takes the reader on a fabulous odyssey from remote villages of Catalonia to the royal court of Madrid, from Paris of La belle epoque to the Wild West of America, from the concert halls of the world's captials to the concentration camps of Nazi-occupied France, from the shores of the Mediterranean to the flowering mountains of Puerto Rico. It is a story that culminates in the ineffably tender account of Casals' love for Marta, his lovely young wife and co-worker. Above all, surmounting the viloence and cynicism of our time, it is a story of human compassion, reverence for beauty, and faith in man.
In his Prefatory Note, Albert E. Kahn-to whom Casals relates the thoughts and recollections in this book-states that this work should not be termed an autobiography, It is, indeed, a book which fits no formal category. it is both a testament and a song: a testament to a way of life and a song to life itself.
Joys and Sorrows is illustrated with more than 50 pages of hitherto unpublished documents, rare musical memorabilia, correspondence with president Kennedy, Albert Schweitzer and others, and a protfolio of uniquely intimate contemporary photographs of Casals by Albert E. Kahn.
314 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1970
8 people are currently reading
696 people want to read
About the author
Pau Casals
51 books15 followersPau Casals i Defilló (el Vendrell, 29 de desembre de 1876 - San Juan, 22 d'octubre de 1973) fou un violoncel·lista, pedagog, director i compositor musical català. La seva gran contribució al món de la música va ser la innovació en la interpretació amb el violoncel que, més tard, va ser adoptada per tots els violoncel·listes del món. La seva interpretació d'El cant dels ocells ha esdevingut un símbol de pau i llibertat arreu del món, i de manera molt més significativa dins del modernisme català. Promogué fundacions per a l'impuls i la divulgació de la música.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 25, 2019
Szégyen vagy sem, én nem hallottam Pablo Casalsról, vagy ahogy inkább nevezni kellene katalánul, Pau Casalsról, pedig a világtörténelem egyik legjobb csellistájaként tartja számon a zenetudomány. Ami azért nem semmi. Csaknem száz évet élt, és az élete felfűzhető a Viktória királynő és Brezsnyev közötti időtengelyre. Ami szintén nem semmi.
De a könyv maga nem igazán tölt be semmilyen funkciót. Nem önéletleírás, hiszen Casals itt nem szerző, csak Albert E. Kahn tollába mond érdekesnek szánt történeteket, amelyek vele estek meg. Többek között meleg szavakkal emlékezik meg a különböző arisztokratákkal való kapcsolatáról és az uralkodókkal történt találkozásairól. De akadnak olyan tréfás történetek is benne, mint például az, amikor az amerikai Középnyugaton elkezdi mesélni neki egy helybéli, hogy ő egyébként egy olyan országból jött, amiről a vendége bizonyára nem hallott, a neve Katalónia…
Mindez azonban nagyon lazán egymáshoz fűzve, alig néhány mondatban kifejtve jelenik meg, ami elveszi a szöveg mindenféle élvezeti értékét. Kíváncsi vagyok, hogy vajon Casals élőben is egy kicsit kibírhatatlan alak volt-e, mert a sorok közül én a Legnagyobb Tehetséggel Megáldott Ember Vagyok És Természetes Hogy Mindez Velem Történik típusú személyiséget vélem kiolvasni. De persze tévedhetek is.
De a könyv maga nem igazán tölt be semmilyen funkciót. Nem önéletleírás, hiszen Casals itt nem szerző, csak Albert E. Kahn tollába mond érdekesnek szánt történeteket, amelyek vele estek meg. Többek között meleg szavakkal emlékezik meg a különböző arisztokratákkal való kapcsolatáról és az uralkodókkal történt találkozásairól. De akadnak olyan tréfás történetek is benne, mint például az, amikor az amerikai Középnyugaton elkezdi mesélni neki egy helybéli, hogy ő egyébként egy olyan országból jött, amiről a vendége bizonyára nem hallott, a neve Katalónia…
Mindez azonban nagyon lazán egymáshoz fűzve, alig néhány mondatban kifejtve jelenik meg, ami elveszi a szöveg mindenféle élvezeti értékét. Kíváncsi vagyok, hogy vajon Casals élőben is egy kicsit kibírhatatlan alak volt-e, mert a sorok közül én a Legnagyobb Tehetséggel Megáldott Ember Vagyok És Természetes Hogy Mindez Velem Történik típusú személyiséget vélem kiolvasni. De persze tévedhetek is.
July 25, 2008
Casals was a man with a huge heart, and had an immense capacity to give and share what he had. Two things that I will always remember: 1) early in his career, his hand was injured while hiking. His first thought was, "Oh good! Now I don't have to play cello anymore!" 2)Every morning, before starting his daily activities, he played Bach to "sanctify" his house.
August 1, 2014
Pablo Casals is one of my heroes. I first read an article in the LA Times about him when I got out of college, lying comfortably on the sand on a lazy Sunday afternoon in Santa Monica and wanted to know more about this principled musician who grew up with peasants, lived among royalty, and then took principled stands against his benefactors, with their admiration as compensation for his rebellion.
In addition to being a famous cellist, he was known for taking strong political stands – the kind well-known sixties activists I admire would take for a period of maybe eight years – for several decades. He did things like refusing to play concerts when asked by soon-to-be-disappointed dignitaries, often by turning down promises of what would be hundreds of thousands of dollars in today’s dollars for a few weeks work.
Later that same Sunday, I was on Melrose Avenue and found a vinyl copy of his famous performance of the first three of Bach’s Unaccompanied Cello Suites at an antique store. These are the famous Abbey Road recordings of Casals. Yes, those Abbey Road studios .
I found myself playing them repeatedly – every morning and while riding my motorcycle to work – for over a month. Later, I ran across an article in a magazine about Franco and WWII that discussed Casals’ repeated public expressions of regret about the Franco regime, often at great personal loss – some losses very material financially - to him, his friends, and even his family.
Yet he persisted, and was eventually vindicated with the removal of the Franco regime.
Since those days, I have purchased or listened to countless Casals recordings, and was so moved by them I even obtained a Cello to try to play the Bach suites during the first year I took violin lessons with my daughter.
Reading this book brought together all of the stories I had read or heard about Casals, in a conversational book in what I hope is his own voice, because it’s a wise, kind voice.
In addition to being a famous cellist, he was known for taking strong political stands – the kind well-known sixties activists I admire would take for a period of maybe eight years – for several decades. He did things like refusing to play concerts when asked by soon-to-be-disappointed dignitaries, often by turning down promises of what would be hundreds of thousands of dollars in today’s dollars for a few weeks work.
Later that same Sunday, I was on Melrose Avenue and found a vinyl copy of his famous performance of the first three of Bach’s Unaccompanied Cello Suites at an antique store. These are the famous Abbey Road recordings of Casals. Yes, those Abbey Road studios .
I found myself playing them repeatedly – every morning and while riding my motorcycle to work – for over a month. Later, I ran across an article in a magazine about Franco and WWII that discussed Casals’ repeated public expressions of regret about the Franco regime, often at great personal loss – some losses very material financially - to him, his friends, and even his family.
Yet he persisted, and was eventually vindicated with the removal of the Franco regime.
Since those days, I have purchased or listened to countless Casals recordings, and was so moved by them I even obtained a Cello to try to play the Bach suites during the first year I took violin lessons with my daughter.
Reading this book brought together all of the stories I had read or heard about Casals, in a conversational book in what I hope is his own voice, because it’s a wise, kind voice.
May 3, 2014
A beautiful book. Casals was a passionate humanitarian and advocate for peace, and his love of life and music is evident on every page.
He lived 96 years (1876-1973), and thus bore witness to many of humanity's greatest tragedies and suffering. The Spanish-American War of 1898, the Spanish Civil War, both World Wars, the Cold War and subsequent nuclear arms race. A Catalonian born in Spain, he lived the last 30+ years of his life in exile because of the Franco dictatorship, and never lived to see Catalonia gain autonomy. Yet despite all this, he remained eminently optimistic and idealistic. Truly inspiring stuff.
A couple favorite passages that are worth sharing:
"There is of course no substitute for work. I myself practiced constantly, as I have all my life. I have been told I play the cello with the ease of a bird flying. I do not know with how much effort a bird learns to fly, but I do know what effort has gone into my cello. What seems ease of performance comes from the greatest labor...almost always, facility results only from maximum effort. Art is the product of labor."
"Each second we live in a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that never was before and will never be again. And what do we teach our children in school? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all of the world there is no other child exactly like you. In the millions of years that have passed there has never been another child like you. And look at your body - what a wonder it is! your legs, your arms, your cunning fingers, the way you move! You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel? You must cherish one another."
He lived 96 years (1876-1973), and thus bore witness to many of humanity's greatest tragedies and suffering. The Spanish-American War of 1898, the Spanish Civil War, both World Wars, the Cold War and subsequent nuclear arms race. A Catalonian born in Spain, he lived the last 30+ years of his life in exile because of the Franco dictatorship, and never lived to see Catalonia gain autonomy. Yet despite all this, he remained eminently optimistic and idealistic. Truly inspiring stuff.
A couple favorite passages that are worth sharing:
"There is of course no substitute for work. I myself practiced constantly, as I have all my life. I have been told I play the cello with the ease of a bird flying. I do not know with how much effort a bird learns to fly, but I do know what effort has gone into my cello. What seems ease of performance comes from the greatest labor...almost always, facility results only from maximum effort. Art is the product of labor."
"Each second we live in a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that never was before and will never be again. And what do we teach our children in school? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all of the world there is no other child exactly like you. In the millions of years that have passed there has never been another child like you. And look at your body - what a wonder it is! your legs, your arms, your cunning fingers, the way you move! You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel? You must cherish one another."
December 17, 2010
This is a very gentle, very conversational book about an incredible man. I'd never heard of Pablo Casals before, and I am so glad that I learned about him and his lifelong devotion to promoting peace and music. It did take me months and months to read, precisely because of its gentleness I think. I read primarily in bed before sleeping, and this book seemed to send me to sleep within a half hour each time. It's not what one would call a page-turner, but it is informative, inspirational, educational, and beautiful even so.
July 20, 2008
The reflections of the extraordinary Spanish cellist whose thoughts and actions throughout Europe's most brilliant and tumultuous period inspire a deep sense of humanity and equality amongst all people.
Aiding Catalonian refugees during World War 2, starting working class music appreciation clubs in Spain, and protesting nuclear proliferation, this is an accounting of life being lived to it's fullest.
If you can find it, it's a great read and goes quick.
Aiding Catalonian refugees during World War 2, starting working class music appreciation clubs in Spain, and protesting nuclear proliferation, this is an accounting of life being lived to it's fullest.
If you can find it, it's a great read and goes quick.
August 24, 2021
A retelling of the wonderous life of the Catalan celloist, conductor, and humanitarian Pau Casals. I knew little about the man himself, and only heard of him through some strange internet grapevine related to his heart-wrenching for-peace folk piece "Song of the Birds". Yet Casals lived one of the most beautiful, storybook lives I have read, and it shines through in his text and in his music. I found the richest material here in some of the near-centenarian insights Casals shared.
Quotes
-"Don't be vain because you happen to have talent. You are not responsible for that; it was not of your doing. What you do with your talent is what matters. You must cherish this gift. Do not demean or waste what you have been given. Work-work constantly and nourish it. Of course the gift to be cherished most of all is that of life itself. One's work should be a salute to life." (p. 34)
-"To be a teacher is to have a great responsibility. The teacher helps shape and give direction to the lives of other human beings. What is more important, graver, than that? Children and young people are our greatest treasure; when we think of them we think of the future of the world. Then consider the significance of nurturing their minds, of helping form their outlook on the world, of training and preparing them for the work that they will do. I can think of no profession more important than that of teaching. A good teacher, a true teacher, can be like a second father to his pupil." (p. 54)
Quotes
-"Don't be vain because you happen to have talent. You are not responsible for that; it was not of your doing. What you do with your talent is what matters. You must cherish this gift. Do not demean or waste what you have been given. Work-work constantly and nourish it. Of course the gift to be cherished most of all is that of life itself. One's work should be a salute to life." (p. 34)
-"To be a teacher is to have a great responsibility. The teacher helps shape and give direction to the lives of other human beings. What is more important, graver, than that? Children and young people are our greatest treasure; when we think of them we think of the future of the world. Then consider the significance of nurturing their minds, of helping form their outlook on the world, of training and preparing them for the work that they will do. I can think of no profession more important than that of teaching. A good teacher, a true teacher, can be like a second father to his pupil." (p. 54)
July 6, 2011
A noteworthy and interesting life story about a very influential Catalan cellist/conductor/composer. Casals is a little too idealistic, cheesy, unpractical, and romantic for me to identify with. Nevertheless, he was a wonderful man, and he did so much for Catalan and Spanish music. Very crisp and direct writing.
December 9, 2024
"Of course I continue to play and to practice. I think I would do so if I lived for another hundred years. I could not betray my old friend, the cello" (301).
"The only weapons I have ever had are my cello and my conductor's baton. And during the [Spanish] Civil War I used them as best I could to support ... the cause of freedom and democracy." (224)
"Then, in the summer of 1943, something happened which I think in retrospect did much to help sustain me during the remainder of the war. I began the composition of my oratorio, "El Pessebre," "The Manger." ... In spite of our privations, and the doubts and sorrows that afflicted us, the work nourished my spirit. In the midst of the savagery of war I was writing music about the Prince of Peace, and if the suffering of man was part of that tale, it also spoke of a time when man's long ordeal would be ended and happiness would be his at last" (242, 244).
"Each second we live in a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that never was before and will be again. And what do we teach our children in school? We teach that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. ... You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel? You must cherish one another. You must work - we all must work - to make this world worthy of its children" (295).
What a fascinating person and musician. He performed in front of presidents, kings, and queens. He saw numerous wars firsthand and lived much of his life in exile from his homeland.
"The only weapons I have ever had are my cello and my conductor's baton. And during the [Spanish] Civil War I used them as best I could to support ... the cause of freedom and democracy." (224)
"Then, in the summer of 1943, something happened which I think in retrospect did much to help sustain me during the remainder of the war. I began the composition of my oratorio, "El Pessebre," "The Manger." ... In spite of our privations, and the doubts and sorrows that afflicted us, the work nourished my spirit. In the midst of the savagery of war I was writing music about the Prince of Peace, and if the suffering of man was part of that tale, it also spoke of a time when man's long ordeal would be ended and happiness would be his at last" (242, 244).
"Each second we live in a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that never was before and will be again. And what do we teach our children in school? We teach that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are? We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. ... You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel? You must cherish one another. You must work - we all must work - to make this world worthy of its children" (295).
What a fascinating person and musician. He performed in front of presidents, kings, and queens. He saw numerous wars firsthand and lived much of his life in exile from his homeland.
September 19, 2017
What a fantastic musician - and what a phenomenal human being!
This is a book of Pablo Casals life stories, as told by himself. From the very beginning, I was warmed by this narrator, this man with a wonderful sense of humour (at ninety-three years of age) and a compassion and empathy for humanity that knows no bounds. His stories are fascinating with a formidable array of well-known characters, spanning multiple wars and a rich period of history.
I highly recommend this book not only to musicians and admirers of Casals, but to everyone!
"I am a man first, an artist second. As a man, my first obligation is to the welfare of my fellow men, I will endeavour to meet this obligation through music - the means which God has given me - since it transcends language, politics and national boundaries. My contribution to world peace may be small. But at least I will have given all I can to an ideal I hold sacred." - Pablo Casals
This is a book of Pablo Casals life stories, as told by himself. From the very beginning, I was warmed by this narrator, this man with a wonderful sense of humour (at ninety-three years of age) and a compassion and empathy for humanity that knows no bounds. His stories are fascinating with a formidable array of well-known characters, spanning multiple wars and a rich period of history.
I highly recommend this book not only to musicians and admirers of Casals, but to everyone!
"I am a man first, an artist second. As a man, my first obligation is to the welfare of my fellow men, I will endeavour to meet this obligation through music - the means which God has given me - since it transcends language, politics and national boundaries. My contribution to world peace may be small. But at least I will have given all I can to an ideal I hold sacred." - Pablo Casals
May 6, 2023
I remember enjoying this book when I read it in high school, and recently tracked down a used copy to give to a cello-playing friend who was unfamiliar with it. So I read it again and was delighted to find that it’s even better than I had remembered.
Though the title is “Joys and Sorrows,” the overwhelming feeling emanating from the book, and from Casals himself, is joy. Yes, he did live through two world wars and witnessed many tragedies, but his sorrows, as Swami Kriyananda says of Jesus in his oratorio, “were not for himself.” In himself, it is entirely joy, and optimism, and love for music and for all humanity. He was truly a remarkably human being, and this is a beautiful book about him.
Though the title is “Joys and Sorrows,” the overwhelming feeling emanating from the book, and from Casals himself, is joy. Yes, he did live through two world wars and witnessed many tragedies, but his sorrows, as Swami Kriyananda says of Jesus in his oratorio, “were not for himself.” In himself, it is entirely joy, and optimism, and love for music and for all humanity. He was truly a remarkably human being, and this is a beautiful book about him.
January 23, 2020
I enjoyed it. A different time (1890s, 1910’s), a older Catalonian person’s perspective. Well written. Mentioned names in classical music that I recognized but think of as long dead. :) Didn’t say much at all about his wife he was married to for 12+ years, and nothing at all about a second wife, married for less than a year (then widowed). Why?
But I appreciated most of his outlook on life and music.
But I appreciated most of his outlook on life and music.
October 26, 2023
Pablo Casals admirable and inspiring character shines through in his work and actions. A humble yet strongly principled advocate of his people and global peace, this collection of Mr. Casals memories, photographs and personal papers is well worth picking up and reading. I was astonish that I didn't know more about him. Well written and an enjoyable read.
June 21, 2019
Like the silhouette on the cover, much of Pablo Casals remains untold.
But a close that goes, “Of course I continue to play and practice. I think I would do so if I lived another hundred years. I could not betray my old friend, the cello,” … by a ninth-three year old warrants reading.
But a close that goes, “Of course I continue to play and practice. I think I would do so if I lived another hundred years. I could not betray my old friend, the cello,” … by a ninth-three year old warrants reading.
April 7, 2023
One of the best books I've ever read.
Want to read
April 18, 2023rec by: jiehao
December 2, 2022
Kinda like listening to your grandpa tell you about his life. Interesting at parts but all the concerts and rehearsals got boring. Also dude married a twenty year old when he was like 80 wha
July 11, 2011
Pablo Casals was truly a conscience of his time. In a time of war and chaos, he used his cello as an instrument through which peace could be heard. His heart for humanity, for justice, pours out from the pages of this book. He inspires me to not just love, but love with music. He is without a doubt one of my greatest heroes.
December 22, 2014
I read a quote from this book in another book that I'm reading - Original Blessing (a really great book) and decided to try this one. While I enjoyed hearing about his early years and his forays into the music world of the time, it wasn't interesting enough to keep this former cellist interested... perhaps because it was "as told to Albert Kahn"? An editor should have spent time cutting.
November 23, 2022
I found this to be a wonderful read; a great biography of one of the greatest cellists and musicians of the 20 th century . A person of great personal integrity who left his beloved Catalonia after Franco and the fascists came to power. The story of him discovering
the Bach Cello Suites in a Barcelona music store and his subsequent 12 years of study before he played the suites, was wonderful
the Bach Cello Suites in a Barcelona music store and his subsequent 12 years of study before he played the suites, was wonderful
January 11, 2015
A great book about a phenomenal person. This man's life seems like a movie - he was involved with so many causes for oppressed people, met regularly with royalty, and played amazing music. If you don't want to read this, go listen to his cello recordings.
April 16, 2014
Stunning! Changed my life when I read it in my 20's...
May 19, 2016
Amazing book!
April 21, 2016
Casals is a man with a big heart before he is one of the greatest musicians.
November 16, 2016
Inspirational, if a bit more detailed than many would want. Reminds me of why I love biographies.
Read
June 28, 2018Casals was a very inspiring man.
Read
December 21, 2018I habe the german translation.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews