Church

Grabado por el Coro del Conservatorio de Puerto Rico
Gloria, El Pessebre - de Pablo Casals - 1973
At the Piano: Abel Gomez

*Depending on your internet connection, it might take a few seconds to download the music.

En 1973, mientras era estudiante del Conservatorio de Puerto Rico tuve el privilegio de particapar en la primera grabacion del Oratorio de Navidad El Pessebre (The Manger) (Pero se canta en cualquier epoca del año), nosotros la estrenamos durante el verano del 1973 durante el Festival Casals en el Teatro de la Universidad de Puerto Rico (meses mas tarde murio Don Pablo en San Juan Puerto Rico). El mismo nos dirigio al coro, con todo y sus 96 años, que aunque habia que ayudarlo a sentarce en el banco del director, cuando tomaba la batuta en su mano dirigia como cuando era joven. A mi me gustaba espeialmente el numero final "El Gloria" con coro y orquesta, aqui no tengo orquesta, pero aprovecho que puedo combinar el piano con el organo de tubos, y me he metido a grabar el Gloria a ver como sale (imaginense como sonaria eso a coro y orquesta). Es un himno lento al estilo: "Santo, Santo, Santo". (ver biografia de Don Pablo mas abajo). Tambien he puesto la letra (solo que es en Catalán, porque asi lo escribio Don Pablo, pero a lo mejor alguien de Barcelona sabe traducirlo.

LYRICS (en Catalán)

/////Glória! a Déu.../////

Glória, Glória a Déu Cantem!
Glória en L'altura.
Glória a Déu, Glória a Déu
i a tota criatura!
Pau, Pau, a la terra!
Mai, Mai més pecat!
Mai més cap guerra!
Mai, Mai més pecat!
Pau als homes, Pau als homes,
De bona voiuntat!
¡¡¡Glória!!!

Biography

Pablo Casals (December 29, 1876 – October 22, 1973), known during his professional career as Pablo Casals, was a Spanish Catalan cellist and conductor. He is generally regarded as the pre-eminent cellist of the first half of the 20th century, and arguably of all time. He made many recordings throughout his career, of solo, chamber, and orchestral music, also as conductor, but he is perhaps best remembered for the recordings of the Bach Cello Suites he made from 1936 to 1939.

Casals first traveled to Puerto Rico in 1955, inaugurating the annual Casals Festival the next year. On August 3, 1957, at 80, Casals married 20 year old Marta Montañez. They made their permanent residence in the town of Ceiba, and lived in a house called "El Pesebre" (The Manger). He made an impact in the Puerto Rican music scene, by founding the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra in 1958, and the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico in 1959.

Casals died in 1973 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at the age of 96 and was buried at the Puerto Rico National Cemetery. He did not live to see the end of the Franco dictatorial regime, but he was posthumously honoured by the Spanish government under King Juan Carlos I which, in 1976, issued a commemorative postage stamp to Pau Casals in honour of the centenary of his birth. In 1979 his remains were laid to rest in his hometown of El Vendrell, Catalonia. In 1989, Casals was posthumously awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.