Casadesus: First Family Of The Piano (DVD)

This documentary chronicles a true musical family dynasty. Though Robert Casadesus (1899-1972) had the most visible career as a performing and recording artist, his wife, Gaby (1901-1999), and son, Jean (1927-1972), were fine musicians in their own right and frequently concertized independently. In "First Family of the Piano", narrated by Jean, we meet the Casadesus family as performers and as devoted family members. The film moves between the idyllic country haven that was home to the family to the various concert venues providing the musical segments of the program

Augmented by selections from the regular Bell Telephone Hour series, this DVD offers performances by all three pianists. Robert is heard in movements from sonatas of Beethoven and Chopin; Jean performs solo music of Debussy and a movement of the Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 2; and Robert, Gaby and Jean join together in movements of concerti for three keyboards by Bach and by Robert Casadesus, whose work as a composer figures prominently in this glowing tribute to an immensely gifted trio of musicians.
Color, 76 minutes, 4:3, All regions