Biographical Note
Arthur Gold (1917-1990) and Robert Fizdale (1920-1995) met while studying at the Juilliard Graduate School in the late 1930s. They formed a piano duo together in 1943 and made their professional debut in 1944 with a program of works by John Cage, followed by their New York Town Hall debut in 1946. In 1948, they traveled to Paris, where they were introduced to Germain Tailleferre and subsequently to other members of the notable French composers, "Les Six." Throughout their careers, Gold and Fizdale commissioned numerous works from American and European composers, and the friendships they established resulted in a number of dedications and two-piano works written for them to perform. In the late 1970s, the duo embarked on a secondary career as authors, and in 1980 penned a biography of Misia Sert, a Parisian pianist and patron of the arts in the early twentieth century. In 1982, Fizdale officially retired from performing due to arthritis, and the duo turned to culinary pursuits alongside their writing. They wrote food articles for Vogue magazine, briefly hosted a television cooking show, and published The Gold and Fizdale Cookbook in 1984. This was followed in 1990 by a biography of French stage actress Sarah Bernhardt, titled The Divine Sarah: A Life of Sarah Bernhardt.