Mstislav Rostropovich

Acting

Mstislav Rostropovich

Born — Died

1927-03-27 — 2007-04-27

Place of birth

Baku, Transcaucasian SFSR, USSR

Known for

Acting

Credits

15 titles

Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich (27 March 1927 – 27 April 2007) was a Russian cellist and conductor. He is considered by many to be the greatest cellist of the 20th century. In addition to his interpretations and technique, he was well known for both inspiring and commissioning new works, which enlarged the cello repertoire more than any cellist before or since. He inspired and premiered over 100 pieces, forming long-standing friendships and artistic partnerships with composers including Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, Henri Dutilleux, Witold Lutosławski, Olivier Messiaen, Luciano Berio, Krzysztof Penderecki, Alfred Schnittke, Norbert Moret, Andreas Makris, Leonard Bernstein, Aram …

Known for

Film credits

2010s · 3 titles

2000s · 5 titles

Rubljovka – Road to Bliss poster
NR

Rublyovka Road is the traffic artery connecting the powerhouse Moscow with the Russian outback. Tell-tale signs of the past and gross excesses of Russian cutthroat capitalism have created a bizarre microcosm that does not have a parallel elsewhere in this giant empire.

Rubljovka – Road to Bliss

2007

Elegy of Life: Rostropovich, Vishnevskaya poster
6.9

A documentary about the famous musician Mstislav Rostropovich and his wife, Galina Vishnevskaya.

Elegy of Life: Rostropovich, Vishnevskaya

2006

Prom at the Palace poster
9.0

All-time classical favourites from the first ever public concert held in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, hosted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Broadcast live on BBC Television, 1st June 2002. Opera fans are in for a particular treat with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa (singing Bizet and Gershwin), Sir Thomas Allen (Rossini and Sir Edward German), and Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu (Puccini and Verdi) sharing the honours. Maestro Mstislav Rostropovich also makes a rare guest appearance with the cello section of the London Symphony Orchestra playing Villa-Lobos.

Prom at the Palace

2002

Rostropovich Life & Art poster
7.0

Released as a memorial for the great Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, who passed away on 27 April 2007, this DVD contains one bonafide cello concerto, the Schumann Cello Concerto in A minor, and two tone poems with prominent cello parts, Ernest Bloch's Schelomo and Richard Strauss' Don Quixote. Rostropovich mastered the Schumann in several famous recordings. Here, conducted by Leonard Bernstein, he provides a splendid performance. Featuring his trademark powerful technique, smooth legato and crisp vibrato, the Romantic roots of the concerto are never hidden for long, despite the relatively cool playing of the Orchestre National de France.

Rostropovich Life & Art

2007

Mstislav Rostropovich - Bach Cello Suites poster
NR

This is one of the most important recordings of the 20th century, both for its content (considered by many the greatest cello music of all time) and for the intense devotion, careful preparation, and towering technical skill that went into the project. It was a brilliant idea to make a video as well as an audio recording. Cellists will welcome the chance to study Rostropovich's bowing and fingering techniques, close up and at leisure. And music-lovers will welcome the visuals of the recording location, a French church whose architecture, statues, and flickering candles complement the music.

Mstislav Rostropovich - Bach Cello Suites

2004

Series credits