Amit Peled and the Casals Cello
From 2012 through 2018, Amit Peled performed on the Pablo Casals 1733 Goffriller cello, which was loaned to him personally by Casals’ widow, Marta Casals Istomin.
“I met Mrs. Marta Casals Istomin and the historic 1733 Matteo Goffriller cello of her late husband, Pablo Casals in 2012. The idea of seeing that instrument up close was hard for me to grasp. This cello made the journey with Casals from Spain into world fame. All the major recordings of Casals were created with this instrument and so many musicians have been shaped listening to that sound.
I was nervous when Marta handed the case to me. Should I open it myself? What if it breaks when I touch it? Moreover, I noticed the strong smell of Casals’s famous pipe emerging from the cello as I settled down to play the first notes. I dove into the Dvořák Cello Concerto and woke up playing the last notes of Bloch’s Prayer, hearing Marta’s approving words, ‘Now that was something!’
I had to find a way not to disturb the cello’s own voice, and to allow its natural tone to develop. The instrument started suggesting to me different colors and I was amazed by the palette of possibilities. I feel so blessed to have spent six fulfilling years performing and recording on that special instrument.”
Amit Peled, Cellist, Walks in the Footsteps of Pablo Casals (New York Times)
Pablo Casals’s Cello Gets a New Life (Wall Street Journal)
What It Means To Play Pablo Casals’ Cello (NPR)
Paying Homage to a Man and His Instrument (Washington Post)
For the Record: Cellist Amit Peled’s ‘To Brahms with Love’ (Strings Magazine)
AllMusic Review of “To Brahms With Love” (AllMusic)
Cellist Amit Peled on Practicing & Performing with Pablo Casals’ Goffriller Cello (Strings Magazine)
New Classical Tracks: Amit Peled Finds Inspiration in Casals’ Cello
Since 2020, Amit enjoys performing on a cello made by the Italian master Giovanni Grancino, ca. 1695, on generous loan from the Roux Family Foundation.