Mstislav Rostropovich
Mstislav Rostropovich | |
---|---|
Birth name | Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich |
Born | Baku, Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union | 27 March 1927
Died | 27 April 2007 Moscow, Russia | (aged 80)
Genres | Classical music |
Occupation(s) | Cellist, conductor |
Instrument(s) | Cello |
Years active | 1942–2007 |
Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich (Russian: Мстислав Леопольдович Ростропович
- 27 March 1927 – 27 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian cellist and conductor. He is considered one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century and was renowned for his interpretations of works by Bach, Beethoven, and Shostakovich.
Early life and education[edit | edit source]
Rostropovich was born in Baku, then part of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, to a musical family. His father, Leopold Rostropovich, was a renowned cellist and his mother, Sofiya Fedotova, was a talented pianist. He began learning the piano at the age of four and the cello at the age of ten. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory under the tutelage of Dmitry Shostakovich and Sergei Prokofiev.
Career[edit | edit source]
Rostropovich made his debut as a cellist in 1942 and quickly gained recognition for his exceptional talent. He won the Stalin Prize in 1951 and became a professor at the Moscow Conservatory in 1956. Throughout his career, he premiered numerous works by contemporary composers, including Benjamin Britten, Henri Dutilleux, and Krzysztof Penderecki.
In addition to his career as a cellist, Rostropovich was also a distinguished conductor. He served as the music director of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. from 1977 to 1994.
Political stance and exile[edit | edit source]
Rostropovich was an outspoken advocate for artistic freedom and human rights. He sheltered the dissident writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in his home and publicly supported him, which led to his exile from the Soviet Union in 1974. He lived in the United States and France during his exile and continued to perform and conduct internationally.
Return to Russia and later life[edit | edit source]
Rostropovich returned to Russia in 1990, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. He continued to perform and conduct until his death in 2007. He was buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
Legacy[edit | edit source]
Rostropovich's contributions to music and his advocacy for human rights have left a lasting legacy. He was awarded numerous honors, including the Order of Lenin, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Personal life[edit | edit source]
Rostropovich was married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya, with whom he had two daughters, Olga and Elena.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
External links[edit | edit source]
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Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.- Pages with script errors
- Articles containing Russian-language text
- 1927 births
- 2007 deaths
- Russian cellists
- Russian conductors (music)
- People from Baku
- National Symphony Orchestra music directors
- Recipients of the Stalin Prize
- Burials at Novodevichy Cemetery
- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners
- Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients
- Order of Lenin recipients
- Exiles from the Soviet Union
- Human rights activists
- Moscow Conservatory alumni
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD