Mstislav Rostropovich
Mstislav Rostropovich: A Life of Passionate Music and Defiance
Full Name and Common Aliases
Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich was a renowned Russian cellist, pianist, conductor, and human rights activist. He is often referred to as Slyoma or simply Misha.
Birth and Death Dates
Rostropovich was born on March 28, 1927, in Baku, Azerbaijan, and passed away on April 27, 2007, at the age of 80, in Moscow, Russia.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Mstislav Rostropovich was a Soviet and later Russian national. He was a musician by profession, with expertise as a cellist, pianist, and conductor.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in Baku, Azerbaijan, young Mstislav began his musical journey at the age of four when he started taking piano lessons from his mother. As his passion for music grew, so did his talent, leading him to begin studying cello at the Moscow Conservatory's Central Special Music School in 1935. Rostropovich's dedication and natural ability earned him a place among the conservatory's most promising students.
Major Accomplishments
Rostropovich's illustrious career spanned over six decades, during which he achieved numerous milestones:
Performed with renowned orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Collaborated with celebrated conductors like Leonard Bernstein, Herbert von Karajan, and Evgeny Mravinsky
Recorded over 200 albums, including works by Bach, Beethoven, Shostakovich, and TchaikovskyNotable Works or Actions
One of Rostropovich's most notable actions was his unwavering support for the dissident poet and writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. This stance put him at odds with Soviet authorities, who responded by confiscating his passport in 1974.
Rostropovich continued to defy the regime by hosting numerous concerts at home, featuring works that critiqued government policies. These actions earned him international recognition as a champion of artistic freedom and human rights.
Impact and Legacy
Mstislav Rostropovich's impact on music extends far beyond his own performances. He has:
Inspired generations of cellists with his technical mastery and expressive playing style
Advocated for social justice through his activism, paving the way for future generations of artists to speak out against oppression
Preserved Russian cultural heritage by promoting works from Russian composers
Rostropovich's legacy is a testament to the transformative power of music.
Quotes by Mstislav Rostropovich
In 1948 the first severe crash occurred in my life when Stalin put out his decree on 'formalism.' There was a bulletin board in the Moscow Conservatory. They posted the decree, which said Shostakovich's compositions and Prokofiev's were no longer to be played.
Explain to me, please, why in our literature and art so often people absolutely incompetent in this field have the final word.
People are craving this great progress in electronics, going after computers, the Internet, etc. It’s a giant progress technologically. But they must have a balance of soul, a balance for human beauty. That means art has an important role.
There is too much emphasis on technical perfection nowadays, and not enough on what music is actually about – irony, joy, human suffering, love.
When I started learning the cello, I fell in love with the instrument because it seemed like a voice – my voice.
The cello is a hero because of its register – its tenor voice. It is a masculine instrument, whereas the violin is feminine because of its soprano pitch. When the cello enters in the Dvorak Concerto, it is like a great orator.
The artist must forget the audience, forget the critics, forget the technique, forget everything but love for the music. Then, the music speaks through the performance, and the performer and the listener will walk together with the soul of the composer, and with God.