A very enjoyable Remington lp, R199 128 circa 1953, featuring the talents of violinist Michele Auclair and cellist Gaspar Cassado. As luck would have it, this Remington is a Masterseal issue on good, sturdy, surprisingly clean vinyl and not the dreadful shellac which is so difficult to transfer effectively. The program features "Fritz Kreisler" encores and cello encores arranged by Cassado.
More has been written and reviewed of Gaspar Cassado than of Michele Auclair. On evidence here, Auclair was an extremely gifted and persuasive violinist. I would urge you, the reader, to take a moment and review her remarkable biography here. Her career apparently followed a direction towards teaching and unbeknownst to me, she taught for a number of years, just 5 miles up the road, at the New England Conservatory. Her Kreisler selections are played with authority, great technique and panache. Great stuff.
Gaspar Cassado had a more prominent career, especially preceding the Second World War. He was a student of Casals and that association opened up many doors for him as a soloist, chamber music partner and composer. After the war, he struggled somewhat with reestablishing himself and his recordings, made mainly for Vox are uneven at best. Critical acclaim alluded him as it had been so positive before hostilities in Europe broke out. I do think his program here is well played, though far from technically perfect and, of special interest is Cassado's arrangement of the "The Blue Danube."
The complete program for this lp is as follows:
Michele Auclair - Praeludium & Allegro (Pugnani-Kreisler), Melodie (Gluck-Kreisler), Rondino On A Theme Of Beethoven (Kreisler), Songs My Mother Taught Me (Dvorak-Kreisler), Serenade Espagnola (Chaminade-Kreisler), Danse Espagnole (de Falla-Kreisler).
Gaspar Cassado - Spinning Wheel (Mendelssohn-Bartholdy), Nocturne Op. 9, No. 2 (Chopin), Gavotte, Op. 23 (Popper), Melody (Rubinstein), Valse Sentimentale (Tchaikovsky), Improvisations on "The Blue Danube" (Strauss-Cassado).
Both performers are accompanied by Otto Schulhof, a little known but excellent recital partner.
Oh, a really fine performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto featuring Michele Auclair can be found here.
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