Rostropovich: Cellist of the Century (Complete)
40 CDs + 3 DVD Videos - 43 discs
Although Mstislav Rostropovich died 10 years ago, on April 27th 2007, he remains a powerful presence on the world’s cultural scene through his legacy as the greatest cellist of his time, as a brave advocate of human rights, and as a man of proverbial generosity and charisma, often known simply by his nickname, Slava. He would have celebrated his 90th birthday in 2017.
The phenomenal richness of his life and art is expressed in a magnificent 43-disc set to be released by Warner Classics on March 24th 2017: Mstislav Rostropovich: Cellist of the Century. It forms the centrepiece of the label’s Rostropovich programme for 2017, which also includes: eight releases of individual CDs taken from the set and a double LP of the Dvořák Cello Concerto and Saint-Saëns Concerto No. 1 (Giulini/London Philharmonic Orchestra).
Mstislav Rostropovich: Cellist of the Century has been curated by Warner Classics in close collaboration with Rostropovich’s daughters Elena and Olga Rostropovich, whose mother was the celebrated soprano Galina Vishnevskaya, Rostropovich’s wife from 1955 until his death. The label was given unprecedented access to Rostropovich’s personal archive; as a result, many rare photos and documents – including a letter of support for dissident Soviet writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn – enrich the 200-page hardback book that forms part of the box set. It also includes a comprehensive chronology and fascinating articles by Elizabeth Wilson, one of Rostropovich’s students, and by Claude Samuel, a former head of Radio France and a close friend of Rostropovich.
The set, conceived as a deluxe edition, comprises 40 CDs and 3 DVDs and contains an even balance of studio and live recordings. The range and variety of music it offers is nothing short of extraordinary, embracing works by more than 60 composers. For solo cello, cello and piano, cello and chamber group, and cello and orchestra, they extend from the Baroque to the latter part of the 20th century and from essential repertoire to rarities. They also reflect both Rostropovich’s mastery of the traditional cello repertoire and his commitment to new music: the dedicatee of over 120 new works, he numbered such composers as Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Britten among his close friends. A number of the live performances featured originate from Russian tapes saved from destruction by resourceful Soviet archivists when Rostropovich was exiled from the USSR (1974-1990), and which came back to light in the late 1990s. Another highlight is the complete Bach Cello Suites, presented here in both audio and video versions. In many senses these represent the culmination of Rostropovich’s recording career; he waited until 1991 to set them down the studio. The box also contains a substantial and previously unpublished audio interview, dating from 2006, in which Rostropovich discusses Shostakovich with the journalist Jon Tolansky.
Rostropovich: Cellist of the Century (Complete)
includes
Bach, C P E:
Cello Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Wq. 171 (H436)
Collegium Musicum de Zurich, Paul Sacher
Bach, J S:
Cello Suites Nos. 1-6, BWV1007-1012
Chorale preludes
Adagio
Cello Suites Nos. 1-6, BWV1007-1012
(DVD)
Beethoven:
Triple Concerto for Piano, Violin, and Cello in C major, Op. 56
David Oistrakh (violin), Sviatoslav Richter (piano)
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Variations (12) on "Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen" for Cello and Piano, Op. 66
Vasso Devetzi (piano)
Variations (12) on "See the conquering hero comes" for Cello and Piano, WoO 45
Vasso Devetzi (piano)
Triple Concerto for Piano, Violin, and Cello in C major, Op. 56
David Oistrakh (violin), Sviatoslav Richter (piano)
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin
Bloch, E:
Schelomo
Orchestre national de France, Leonard Bernstein
Brahms:
Cello Sonata No. 2 in F major, Op. 99
Alexander Dedyukhin (piano)
Double Concerto for Violin & Cello in A minor, Op. 102
Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell
Double Concerto for Violin & Cello in A minor, Op. 102
Itzhak Perlman (violin)
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink
Britten:
Suites for cello solo, Nos. 1-3
Chopin:
Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 65
Alexander Dedyukhin (piano)
Debussy:
Préludes - Book 1: No. 12, Minstrels
Alexander Dedyukhin (piano)
Clair de Lune (from Suite Bergamasque)
Alexander Dedyukhin (piano)
Dutilleux:
Tout un monde lointain (Concerto for cello and orchestra)
Orchestre de Paris, Serge Baudo
Dvorak:
Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Adrian Boult
Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini
Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa
Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104
(DVD)
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini
Frescobaldi:
Toccata
Gagneux:
Triptyque pour violoncelle et orchestre
London Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa
Glazunov:
Concerto ballata in C major for cello and orchestra, Op. 108
USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Evgeny Svetlanov
Gubaidulina:
The Canticle of the Sun
London Symphony Orchestra, London Voices, Ryusuke Numajiri
Handel:
Aria
Haydn:
Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major, Hob. VIIb:1
Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Iona Brown
Cello Concerto No. 2 in D major, Hob. VIIb:2 (Op. 101)
Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Iona Brown
Hervelois:
Sieben altfranzösische Mädchenbilder
Hoddinott:
Noctis Equi, Scena for cello and orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra, Kent Nagano
Honegger:
Cello Concerto
London Symphony Orchestra, Kent Nagano
Cello Concerto
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin
Jolivet:
Cello Concerto No. 2 (1966)
Orchestre national de l’ORTF, André Jolivet
Kabalevsky:
Cello Sonata in B flat, Op. 71
Khachaturian:
Concerto-Rhapsody for Cello in D minor
Ana Amintayeva
Khachaturian, K:
Cello Sonata
Knaifel:
Make me drunk with your kisses
Choral Arts Society of Washington, Washington National Cathedral Choristers, National Cathedral School Lower School Chorus, Norman Scribner
Knipper:
Concerto-Monologue
USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Landowski:
Un Enfant appelle
La Prison
Galina Vishnevskaya, Pierre Dux
Orchestre national de France, Marcel Landowski
Lopes Graca:
Concerto da cámera
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin
Lutosławski:
Cello Concerto
Orchestre de Paris, Witold Lutosławsk
Marcello, A:
Adagio from Oboe Concerto in D minor
Matthews, D:
Romanza
English Chamber Orchestra, Raymond Leppard
Miaskovsky:
Cello Concerto in C minor, Op. 66
Philharmonia Orchestra, Malcolm Sargent
Cello Concerto in C minor, Op. 66
Cello Sonata No. 1 in D major, Op. 12
Milhaud:
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No. 1 Op. 136
London Symphony Orchestra, Kent Nagano
Moret, Norbert:
Cello Concerto
Collegium Musicum de Zurich, Paul Sacher
Penderecki:
Cello Concerto No. 2
London Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa
Piazzólla:
Le Grand Tango
Popper:
Dance of the Elves, Op. 39
Alexander Dedyukhin (piano)
Prokofiev:
Sinfonia Concertante in E minor for cello & orchestra, Op. 125
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Malcolm Sargent
Cello Sonata in C major, Op. 119
Sviatoslav Richter (piano)
Sinfonia Concertante in E minor for cello & orchestra, Op. 125
USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Israel Gusman
Cello Concertino in G minor, Op. 132
Moscow Radio & Television Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Rachmaninov:
Vocalise, Op. 34 No. 14
Alexander Dedyukhin (piano)
Respighi:
Adagio con variazioni for cello and orchestra
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin
Rheinberger:
Three pieces from Six Pieces for violin and organ, Op. 150
Saint-Saëns:
Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33
Philharmonia Orchestra, Malcolm Sargent
Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini
Prière for cello & piano, Op. 158
Herbert Tachezi (organ)
Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33
(DVD)
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giulini
Schnittke:
Concerto for Three
Gidon Kremer (violin), Yuri Bashmet (viola)
Moscow Soloists
String Trio
Gidon Kremer (violin), Yuri Bashmet (viola)
Minuet for String Trio
Gidon Kremer (violin), Yuri Bashmet (viola)
Cello Sonata No. 2
Epilogue from the ballet Peer Gynt, for cello, piano and tape
Schumann:
Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129
Orchestre national de France, Leonard Bernstein
Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129
USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Scriabin:
Étude Op. 8 No. 11 in B flat minor
Alexander Dedyukhin (piano)
Shaporin:
Five Pieces for Cello and Piano, Op. 25
Alexander Dedyukhin (piano)
Shchedrin:
Cello Concerto "sotto voce concerto" (1994)
London Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa
Shostakovich:
Cello Concerto No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 107
London Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa
Seven Romances on Poems of Alexander Blok, Op. 127
Galina Vishnevskaya, Ulf Hoelscher, Vasso Devetzi
Cello Concerto No. 1 in E flat major, Op. 107
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Cello Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 126
USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Evgeny Svetlanov
Cello Sonata in D minor, Op. 40
Strauss, R:
Cello Sonata in F major, Op. 6
Vasso Devetzi (piano)
Don Quixote, Op. 35
Ulrich Koch
Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan
Don Quixote, Op. 35
Lazar Dvoskin (cello)
USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Victor Dubrovsky
Taneyev, S:
Canzona in F minor
Alexander Dedyukhin
Tartini:
Cello Concerto in D major
Collegium Musicum de Zurich, Paul Sacher
Tchaikovsky:
Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa
Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33
USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
Tchaikovsky, B:
Cello Suite
Cello Concerto
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirill Kondrashin
Partita for Cello & Chamber Ensemble
A. Mamyko, Y. Godin, B. Tchaikovsky, A. Dedyukhin, I. Khovov
Tishchenko:
Cello Concerto No. 1, Op. 23
Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra, Igor Blazhkov
Toyama:
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
Moscow Radio & Television Orchestra, Yuzo Toyama
Ustvolskaya:
Grand Duet for Cello & Piano
Villa-Lobos:
Modinha
Vivaldi:
Concerto for cello, strings & continuo in D minor RV 406
Collegium Musicum de Zurich, Paul Sacher
Weinberg:
Cello Concerto in D Minor, Op. 43
USSR State Symphony Orchestra, Gennady Rozhdestvensky
plus Recital of Short Pieces & Transcriptions
Debussy · Dvořák · Falla · Fauré · Handel · Milhaud · Popper · Prokofiev
Schubert · Scriabin · Shaporin · Sinding · R. Strauss · Stravinsky
and 'Mstislav Rostropovich on Dmitri Shostakovich - The Last Audio Interview'
Mstislav Rostropovich (cello)
