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Mstislav Rostropovich


Russian
March 27, 1927
Musician
dunes denmark north sea beach sea
I never studied, but I had the best teachers.


Mstislav Rostropovich
Tags: Best Had Never
I listened to Pablo Casals, which was a big change for me. Without hearing Casals, I would never have advanced as I did.
Mstislav Rostropovich
Tags: Change Me Would
The war years were the most difficult time of my life. There was real famine in Moscow. The water froze inside the houses. There was no heat.
Mstislav Rostropovich
Tags: Time War Life
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.
Mstislav Rostropovich
If I make a speech, I need a translator. But music does not need a translation. People understand me through the sound. That I think is very important. This is just one planet, like one family.
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.
Mstislav Rostropovich
Tags: Out Life Which
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.
Mstislav Rostropovich
Tags: About Think Been
Baalbek is so beautiful. It is the heart of beauty in the Middle East - I want to embrace these people with my music. I will try so hard for them. Their president is a Christian, their prime minister is a Muslim. Music is for everyone.
Mstislav Rostropovich