skip navigation | text only | accessibility | site map
Share
Pablo Casals (Photo of)

Pablo Casals - Artist of Conscience

Enjoy an homage to the life of the legendary cellist though music and the spoken word, featuring three Suites for Violoncello by J.S. Bach.

About the Program | Reviews

This event has already closed.
Please use the event calendar to search for current events.

About the Program

Artists:
  • Jonathan C. Kramer , narration text
  • Selma Gokcen , cellist
  • Bernard Greenhouse , special guest
"I am a man first, an artist second." ~Pablo Casals

A SPECIAL FORTAS CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERTS EVENT! An homage to the life of Pablo Casals though music and the spoken word, featuring three Suites for Violoncello by J.S. Bach. An in-depth interview with cellist Bernard Greenhouse will precede the musical portion of this event.

Legendary cellist Pablo Casals was a conductor, composer, and human rights activist, winner of both the Medal of Freedom and the Peace Medal. Though renowned for his solo, chamber, and orchestral performances, he is perhaps best remembered for his 1936–1939 recordings of J.S. Bach's six solo cello suites. Combining poetry, anecdote, and glorious music, this unique Fortas concert event celebrates the life and legacy of Casals using dramatic narration created by cellist and musicologist Jonathan C. Kramer interspersed with three of Bach's solo cello suites, long recognized for their singular grandeur and serene beauty. Beginning with a discussion with acclaimed American cellist Bernard Greenhouse, a protégé of Casals, the event will also showcase the talents of cellist Selma Gokcen, who plays with a "wonderfully clear tone, beautiful and consistent" (The Houston Chronicle). Don't miss this special performance piece that offers a stunning portrait of Casals as musician, social and political activist, and spokesperson for human dignity. Program:
BACH - I. Casals the Musician Suite for Violoncello Solo No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009
BACH - II. Casals in Exile Suite for Violoncello Solo No. 5 in C minor, BWV 1011
BACH - III. Casals: Man of Peace Suite for Violoncello Solo No. 6 in D major, BWV 1012


All events and artists subject to change without prior notice.

Group of 20 or more? Contact Group Sales for special terms.

Additional Resources

About the Kennedy Center Fortas Chamber Music Concerts Series

Reviews and Articles

Review - "In Good Conscience: Pablo Casals Remembered"
The Washington Post - Washington, DC (Mar. 13, 2006) "performances that immersed the listener in the soul of Bach, not the emotions of the performer." Read More...

This event has already closed.

Please use the event calendar to search for current events.