Rostropovich dies

[brownie]

A music giant is gone...

From AP:

CELLIST-CONDUCTOR ROSTROPOVICH DIES

Mstislav Rostropovich, the ebullient master cellist who fought for the rights of Soviet-era dissidents and later triumphantly played Bach suites below the crumbling Berlin Wall, has died, his spokeswoman said. He was 80.

Rostropovich, who lived in self-imposed exile in Paris, suffered from intestinal cancer. He was hospitalized in Paris in early February, and his family arranged for him to be flown back to Russia, longtime manager Ronald Wilford said.

He was treated at a Moscow hospital, and was visited on Feb. 6 by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Seven weeks later, he was well enough to attend a celebration at the Kremlin on his 80th birthday, but appeared frail. The ITAR-Tass news agency reported Friday that he had been hospitalized again several days ago.

Spokeswoman Natalia Dollezhal told The Associated Press that Rostropovich had died, but would not immediately provide details.

[tonym]

Just seen that on BBC. Sad that such a great man has gone, but what a legacy!

[porcy62]

R.I.P.

I'll listen to his performance of Beethoven's Triple Concert with Oistrakh, Richter, with Karajan conducting the Berliner PO, Emi, vinyl.

Edited April 27, 2007 by porcy62

[rostasi]

What a shame...

Out comes the Shostakovich...

[ejp626]

That is definitely a shame. He was scheduled to conduct in Chicago next season. I thought it unlikely he would make it given his health problems, but I definitely would have gone had he made it. Brilliant Classics has an excellent box set of recordings he made while in the USSR.

[WD45]

I'll have to throw on his performances of the Bach 'Cello solo pieces.

[John L]

A great man in a and out of music. RIP

[B. Goren.]

[Varese]

He was master conductor and muscian. Keeper of Shostakovich flame. Odd bit of trivia, he had purchased at auction Rasputiin Diaries. R.I.P

[Spontooneous]

A live performance of the Brahms Op. 38 sonata back about 1981 stands out in memory as one of the few really perfect concert-going experiences.

When you guys are done with all this Shostakovich, put on the Britten Cello Symphony.

[MomsMobley]

underrated conductor, an oft terrific Schnittke advocate

 

 

Edited December 4, 2015 by MomsMobley

[medjuck]

I saw him at Massey Hall in Toronto in the '70s.  He was great but his accompanist wasn't too good.  I  told my friend Josef Skvorecky who was a Czech dissident  in exile in Canada  that I thought it was nice he obviously used a friend even though the guy wasn't too good. Josef scoffed and said "That was the KGB agent whose job was to make sure Rostropovich didn't defect. "

[Larry Kart]

 Skvorecky was a heck of a good novelist and a jazz fan.

[Eric]

I know relatively little about classical music, but have owned and loved this CD forever.  It was recommended to me by a guy who worked the classical section of a Best Buy back in the 90s