Obit: Msistislav Rostropovich (27 April, 2007)

Subject: Obit: Msistislav Rostropovich (27 April, 2007)
From: mrdux
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 12:10 PM

Cellist Mstislav Rostropovich Dies at 80. One of the greatest cellists of the 20th century, and a true humanitarian.

Subject: RE: Obit: Msistislav Rostropovich (27 April, 2007)
From: Don Firth
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 12:32 PM

Also a great conductor.

In the late 1970s, I got a job at a classical music radio station partly on the basis of being able to pronounce his name correctly. Slava, I owe you one. . . .

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Obit: Msistislav Rostropovich (27 April, 2007)
From: sapper82
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 04:39 PM

Today's BBC Radio 3 "In Tune" programme was a special edition as a tribute to commemorate his passing.

Subject: RE: Obit: Msistislav Rostropovich (27 April, 2007)
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 04:43 PM

A great man. I will play his Bach works tonight.

Subject: RE: Obit: Msistislav Rostropovich (27 April, 2007)
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 04:55 PM

What an incredible person and musician. It is so sad that he is gone now. Thank goodness he was able to go back to Russia.

Вы и отдохните в мире, добросердечном господине
(Thank you and rest in peace, Kind Sir,)

kat
(hope the translation is close)

Subject: RE: Obit: Msistislav Rostropovich (27 April, 2007)
From: Mrrzy
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 05:04 PM

I always confused him with Ripsercorsetoff... but I *do* remember him celloing while the Wall fell. Wow.

Subject: RE: Obit: Msistislav Rostropovich (27 April, 2007)
From: mrdux
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 05:44 PM

"Explain to me, please, why in our literature and art so often people absolutely incompetent in this field have the final word? Every man must have the right fearlessly to think independently and express his opinion about what he knows, what he has personally thought about and experienced, and not merely to express with slightly different variations the opinion which has been inculcated in him."

-- Rostropovich's open letter to Pravda (1970)

Subject: RE: Obit: Msistislav Rostropovich (27 April, 2007)
From: Mary Humphreys
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 08:02 PM

Oh no!
He was one of Anahata's heroes. And mine.
May he rest in peace.
Mary

Subject: RE: Obit: Msistislav Rostropovich (27 April, 2007)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Apr 07 - 11:25 PM

I agree Kat, it is remarkable that he was able to return to Russia. He lived through interesting times.

SRS

Subject: RE: Obit: Msistislav Rostropovich (27 April, 2007)
From: Padre
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 12:33 AM

Saw him conduct the National Symphony Orchestra several times at the Kennedy Center - a powerful musical figure of our day. His unaccompanied Bach cello pieces still give me chills when I play them.

Padre

Subject: RE: Obit: Msistislav Rostropovich (27 April, 2007)
From: treewind
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 03:50 AM

What Mary said!
I had lots of his recordings when I was a teenager learning the cello. I remember particularly being taken to a concert at London's Royal Festival Hall, conducted by another Russian and he played a concerto by a Russian composer who was present and joined them on the stage afterwards. In retrospect I concluded that the others had to be Rozhdestvensky and Shostakovitch. Quite a momentous occasion, though I might have been too young to appreciate it fully at the time.

Meanwhile The BBC hasn't mentioned it on the R4 news, but they had an item about Scotty from Star Trek having his ashes sent into space.
It makes me wonder if this world's for me any more.

RIP Slava, and thanks for the music and the inspiration.

Anahata