HALL OF FAME - Mstislav Rostropovich

Mstislav Rostropovich

Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich known to close friends as “Slava,” was a Russian cellist and conductor. He was married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya. He is widely considered to have been one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century, he is considered by some of his peers to be the greatest cellist of all time. In addition to his outstanding interpretations and technique, he was well-known for his commissions of new works which enlarged the cello repertoire more than any cellist before or since. He gave the premieres of over 100 pieces.

Mstislav Rostropovich | Biography

Mstislav Rostropovich was one of the great cellists, and one of the leading conductors, of his time. His performances in both arenas were characterized by a direct and strongly emotional style, and the often turbulent events of his life, including exile from his native Soviet Union, often resonated with his music making. His father, Leopold, was an acclaimed cellist and his mother was a professional pianist. In 1931, the family returned to Moscow, where Leopold taught at the Gnesin Institute. Taught by his father from the age of three, "Slava" gave his first recital at eight. He entered the Central Music School in 1939, remaining until 1941. In 1943 he entered the Moscow Conservatory. He studied cello with Semyon Kozolupov and composition with Vissarion Shebalin and Dmitri Shostakovich. He became a musical secretary to composer Sergei Prokofiev, and helped persuade the composer to rewrite his failed cello concerto in E minor as the Symphony-Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 125, one of the major masterpieces for the instrument.
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Mstislav Rostropovich | YouTube

Mstislav Rostropovich | Wikipedia

Mstislav Rostropovich
Date of birth: 1927-03-27
Country: Azerbaijan
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Mstislav Rostropovich slideshow

Mstislav Rostropovich | Video on demand

Mstislav Rostropovich (cello), Ulrich Koch (viola)
Don Quixote, R. Strauss, Herbert von Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker
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Mstislav Rostropovich (cello), Iona Brown (concertmaster)
Haydn - Cello Concerto No. 1 Featuring Rostropovich and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
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Mstislav Rostropovich | CD's

Rostropovich - The Complete EMI Recordings (28 CDs)
Mstislav Rostropovich
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Dvorak/Saint-Saens: Cello Concertos - Mstislav Rostropovich, Carlo Maria Giulini, London Philharmonic Orchestra
From EMI Classics
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Dvorák: Cello Concerto; Tchaikovsky / Karajan, Rostropovich,
From Deutsche Grammophon
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Mstislav Rostropovich | DVD's

Bach - Cello Suites / Rostropovich
From EMI Classics
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Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1 / Prokofiev Sinfonia Concertante / Rostropovich
From EMI Classics
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Beethoven Cello Sonatas Nos. 1-5 / Rostropovich, Richter
From EMI Classics
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Mstislav Rostropovich | Books

Sofia Gubaidulina: A Biography (Russian Music Studies)
By Michael Kurtz
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Rostropovich: The Musical Life of the Great Cellist, Teacher, and Legend
By Elizabeth Wilson
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