Henri-Gustave Casadesus (30 September 1879, Paris – 31 May 1947, Paris) was a violist,

viola d'amore The viola d'amore (; Italian for " viol of love") is a 7- or 6- stringed musical instrument with sympathetic strings used chiefly in the baroque period. It is played under the chin in the same manner as the violin. Structure and sound The ...

player, composer, and music publisher.

Early life

Casadesus received his early musical instruction with Albert Lavignac and studied viola with

Théophile Laforge Théophile Édouard Laforge (6 March 1863 in Paris – 31 October 1918 in Paris) was a French violist and first professor of viola at the Conservatoire de Paris. Laforge studied violin at the Conservatoire de Paris with Eugène Sauzay and was ...

at the Conservatoire de Paris, taking first prize in 1899. From 1910 to 1917, he was the violist of the Capet Quartet.

Career

Along with Camille Saint-Saëns, Casadesus founded the "Société des instruments anciens" in 1901. The society, which operated between 1901 and 1939, was a quintet of performers who used obsolete instruments such as the viola da gamba, or Casadesus's own instrument, the

. The quintet was also notable in its day for premiering rediscovered works by long-dead composers. It was later discovered that Casadesus and his brothers, notably Marius Casadesus, wrote these works. The

Adélaïde Concerto The Adélaïde Concerto is the nickname of a violin concerto in D major attributed to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and given the catalogue number Koechel catalogue, K. Anh. 294a in the third edition of the standard Köchel catalogue of Mozart's works. ...

, allegedly by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is sometimes mistakenly attributed to Henri but is actually by Marius. However, Casadesus is believed to have been the author of a "Concerto in D Major for viola" ascribed to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, described by Rachel W. Wade in her survey ''The Keyboard Concertos of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.'' This concerto appeared in 1911 in a Russian edition, allegedly "transcribed...for small orchestra by Maximilian Steinberg," and was subsequently performed by conductors such as Darius Milhaud and Serge Koussevitsky, then recorded by both Felix Prohaska and Eugene Ormandy, all under the false attribution. "Thus," Wade wrote in 1981, "at the present time, the most frequently recorded concerto of C.P.E. Bach is a spurious one." Casadesus is also credited with the " Handel Concerto" and the " J.C. Bach Concerto," which are both for viola as well. These are often referred to as "The Handel/Casadesus Concerto" and "The J.C. Bach/Casadesus Concerto". Scholarly criticism has confirmed that both these concerti were written by Henri Casadesus in the style of their purported composers. Casadesus is also the composer of a violin concerto in D major in the style of Boccherini.

Family

He was the brother of Marius Casadesus and Robert-Guillaume Casadesus, uncle of the famous pianist Robert Casadesus, and granduncle of Jean Casadesus. Henri Casadesus had five children including actor Christian Casadesus and actress Gisèle Casadesus. He was grandfather to Jean-Claude Casadesus and Dominique Probst.

Selected works

;Stage * ''Le rosier'', Opera buffa in 3 acts (1914); libretto by Maurice Devilliers * ''Les plaisirs champêtres, ou, Les tentations de las bergère et l'amour vainqueur'', Ballet in 1 act (1924); music derived from ''Plaisirs champêtres'' and ''Divertissement'' by

Michel Pignolet de Montéclair Michel Pignolet de Montéclair (4 December 1667 – 22 September 1737) was a French composer of the baroque period. He was born Michel Pignolet in Andelot, Haute-Marne, France, and only later added "Montéclair" (the name of a fortress in his ...

* ''Cotillon III'', Opera buffa in 3 acts (1927); libretto by Gabriel Alphaud and

Pierre Maudru Pierre Maudru (1892–1992) was a French screenwriter.Goble p.189 He also directed three films. He was the son of the silent era director Charles Maudru. Selected filmography * '' André Cornélis'' (1927) * '' La Maison de la Fléche'' (1930) * ' ...

* ''Sans tambour ni trompette'', Operetta in 3 acts, 4 scenes (1931); libretto by

Pierre Veber Pierre-Eugène Veber (15 May 1869 – 20 August 1942) was a French playwright and writer. Biography Pierre Veber was the brother of the painter Jean Veber, and the brother-in-law of both René Doumic and Tristan Bernard. His family was quite l ...

and Henry de Gorsse * ''Valses de France'', Fantasie musicale et grand spectacle "Sur des airs célèbres de Gounod, G. Bizet, B. Godard, L. Delibes, Hervé, O. Métra, Lacome, P. Delmet" in 2 acts, 18 scenes (1943); libretto by and

Albert Willemetz Albert Willemetz (14 February 1887 – 7 October 1964) was a French librettist. Career Albert Willemetz was a prolific lyricist. He invented a new type of musical, with a humorous and "sexy" style. He was the author of more than 3000 songs, inc ...

* ''La petite-fille de madame Angot'', Operetta ;Orchestral * Concerto in D major for small orchestra (ca.1905, published 1912); original "for four viols concertante"; falsely attributed to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach * ''Divertissement bressan'', Suite for orchestra (published 1943) * ''Divertissement Provençal'', Suite for orchestra (published 1943) :# Cortège et danse des treilles :# L'Erbeto di frisoun :# Le pas du cap de juven :# Tambourin ;Concertante * Concerto (Suite) in D major for violin or viola and piano or orchestra (ca.1905, published 1931); original "for four viols concertante"; falsely attributed to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach * "Handel" Concerto in B minor for viola and orchestra (published 1924); falsely attributed to George Frideric Handel * "J.C. Bach" Concerto in C minor for viola and orchestra (published 1947); falsely attributed to Johann Christian Bach ;Chamber music * Aria de la Suite en sol, for cello and piano (or organ) (1911) * Suite for string quartet (or string orchestra) (published 1931); falsely attributed to Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach * ''La ronde des saisons'' for woodwind quintet (published 1987) * ''24 préludes pour viole d'amour avec accompagnement de clavecin, piano ou harpe'' (24 Preludes) for

with accompaniment of harpsichord, piano, or harp (1931) ;Pedagogical works * ''Technique de la viole d'amour'' (Technique of the

Viola d'amore The viola d'amore (; Italian for " viol of love") is a 7- or 6- stringed musical instrument with sympathetic strings used chiefly in the baroque period. It is played under the chin in the same manner as the violin. Structure and sound The ...

) (1931) ;Piano * Pieces from ''Cotillon-jazz'' (1927) :: ''C'est moi'', One-step :: ''Jeux innocents'', Fox-trot :: ''Loulou'', Fox-trot :: ''Radix'', One-step * ''Marche ternaire'' (1935) * ''Le jardin des amours'' (1939) :# Pavane :# Passepied :# Menuet tendre :# Canarie * ''Les Récréations de la campagne'' (1947) ;Vocal * ''Quatre chansons cambodgiennes'' (4 Cambodian Songs) for voice and piano (1931); French words by Fernand Rouvray * ''Quatre chansons françaises'' (4 French Songs) for voice and piano (1933); words by Léon Guillot de Saix * ''Normandie'' for voice and piano (1935); words by René Dorin ;Film scores * ''Barranco, Ltd'' (1932) * ''Colomba'' (1933) * ''Le crime du chemin rouge'' (1933) * ''Le gardian'' * ''Paris New-York'' (1940) * ''Matin de France'' (1942) * '' Les mystères de Paris'' (Mysteries of Paris) (1943)

References

External links

*
Henri Casadesus: Composer, Conductor
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Casadesus, Henri 1879 births 1947 deaths Musicians from Paris Conservatoire de Paris alumni French classical violists French viola d'amore players French film score composers French operetta composers French male film score composers Musical hoaxes Historicist composers

Henri Henri is an Estonian, Finnish, French, German and Luxembourgish form of the masculine given name Henry. People with this given name ; French noblemen :'' See the ' List of rulers named Henry' for Kings of France named Henri.'' * Henri I de Mon ...

French male classical composers