Mstislav Rostropovich: Cello Concertos & Encores CD

UPC: 0028947765059

MPN: 477 6505

Brand Name: Deutsche Grammophon

Overview

Celebrate the legendary artistry of Mstislav Rostropovich with this specially priced 2-CD collection showcasing rare recordings of concertos and encores from the 1950s, many released on CD for the first time. Issued in 2007 to commemorate the 80th birthday of the cellist whom The Times hailed as "the world's greatest musician," this Deutsche Grammophon Original Masters release captures Rostropovich at the height of his early powers, performing two concertos with which he became intimately associated: Saint-Saëns' Cello Concerto No. 1 and Schumann's Cello Concerto. The second disc presents a dazzling sequence of brilliant and evocative encores spanning repertoire from Handel to Prokofiev, including Popper's virtuosic "Elfentanz" (released here on CD for the first time), Paganini's "Moto Perpetuo," and expressive miniatures by Chopin, Granados, Borodin, and Richard Strauss. Accompanied by distinguished Soviet orchestras and conductors including Grigory Stolyarov, Samuel Samosud, and Kirill Kondrashin, with pianists Alexander Dedyukhin, Walter Naum, and Vladimir Yampolsky, these historic mono recordings document the extraordinary technical mastery and profound musical intelligence that would make Rostropovich the defining cellist of the 20th century.

Product Features

• Format: 2 x CD, Compilation, Special Edition
• Total Runtime: CD 1: 48 minutes 20 seconds / CD 2: 49 minutes 55 seconds (Total: approximately 98 minutes)
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon Original Masters Series
• Artist: Mstislav Rostropovich (violoncello/cello)
• Release Year: 2007 (recordings from the 1950s)
• Recording Period: 1950s
• Recording Type: Historic mono recordings, MONO ADD/AAD
• Country of Origin: Made in the EU
• Genre: Classical, Romantic Cello Repertoire
• Style: Cello Concertos, Virtuoso Encores, Russian Classical Performance
• Special Features: Many tracks released on CD for the first time, specially priced 2-CD set, commemorative 80th birthday release
• Orchestras: Symphony Orchestra of the All-Union Radio, Symphony Orchestra of the Moscow State Philharmonic, Moscow Youth Symphony Orchestra
• Conductors: Grigory Stolyarov, Samuel Samosud, Kirill Kondrashin
• Piano Accompanists: Alexander Dedyukhin, Walter Naum, Vladimir Yampolsky
• Cover Photo: Private collection
• Series: Deutsche Grammophon Original Masters

Interesting Facts

Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich (1927-2007) stands as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century—not only the greatest cellist of his generation but also a distinguished conductor, humanitarian, and champion of artistic freedom. Born in Baku, Azerbaijan (then part of the Soviet Union), to a family of musicians, Rostropovich studied at the Moscow Conservatory and emerged in the late 1940s as a phenomenon, revolutionizing cello technique and expanding the instrument's repertoire through collaborations with major composers including Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, and Benjamin Britten, all of whom wrote works specifically for him.

These 1950s recordings, made when Rostropovich was in his twenties and early thirties, capture the cellist at a crucial formative period, already displaying the technical brilliance, tonal beauty, and interpretive depth that would define his six-decade career. At this time, he was establishing himself as the Soviet Union's preeminent cellist while navigating the complex cultural politics of Stalin-era and post-Stalin Russia. Despite the constraints of Soviet artistic control, these recordings reveal an artist of extraordinary individuality and expressive freedom.

The Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33 (1872) became one of Rostropovich's signature works—a one-movement concerto of remarkable structural ingenuity and melodic richness. The Schumann Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129 (1850), long neglected until championed by Rostropovich and other mid-20th-century cellists, is now recognized as one of the Romantic era's finest cello concertos, featuring Schumann's characteristic introspection and lyrical intensity.

The encore selections on CD 2 showcase the breadth of Rostropovich's artistry and the rich tradition of virtuoso cello miniatures. Popper's "Elfentanz" (Dance of the Elves), appearing here on CD for the first time, demonstrates the kind of breathtaking technical wizardry that made David Popper (1843-1913) the Paganini of the cello. Paganini's own "Moto Perpetuo," originally for violin, receives a dazzling cello transcription. The Chopin "Introduction and Polonaise Brillante" combines Polish national character with salon elegance, while Granados's "Intermezzo" from the piano suite "Goyescas" gains new lyrical depth in cello transcription.

The collaborating artists represent the finest Soviet musical establishment of the era. Grigory Stolyarov, Samuel Samosud, and Kirill Kondrashin were all distinguished conductors who shaped Soviet musical life. Kondrashin would later gain international fame, ultimately defecting to the West in 1978. The pianists—Dedyukhin, Naum, and Yampolsky—were highly respected collaborative artists and pedagogues within the Moscow musical community.

Deutsche Grammophon, founded in 1898, is the world's oldest surviving record label and has maintained unparalleled standards in classical music recording. The Original Masters series preserves historic recordings with careful remastering that honors the original sound while improving clarity for modern playback systems. The ADD (Analog to Digital to Digital) and AAD (Analog to Analog to Digital) designations indicate these recordings were originally made on analog tape and have been digitally remastered.

Rostropovich's later career included his courageous defense of dissident writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn, which led to his effective exile from the Soviet Union in 1974. He became music director of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., and returned triumphantly to Russia after the fall of communism, performing at the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. He passed away on April 27, 2007, just weeks after this commemorative album's release, leaving an incomparable legacy as performer, teacher, and humanitarian.

CD 1 Track Listing (48:20):

• Saint-Saëns: Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33
• Schumann: Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129
• Glazunov: Chant du Ménestrel (Minstrel's Song), Op. 71

CD 2 Track Listing (49:55):

• Chopin: Introduction and Polonaise Brillante, Op. 3
• Granados: Intermezzo from "Goyescas"
• Borodin: Excerpts from "Prince Igor"
• Prokofiev: Adagio from "Cinderella"
• Popper: Elfentanz (Dance of the Elves), Op. 39* (*First release on CD)
• R. Strauss: "An einsamer Quelle" (At the Lonely Spring)
• Schumann: Fünf Stücke im Volkston (Five Pieces in Folk Style), Op. 102
• Handel: Aria "Vouchsafe, O Lord" (from "Dettingen Te Deum")
• Paganini: Moto Perpetuo, Op. 11

Publishers

Label: Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Hamburg
Copyright: © 2007 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Hamburg (This compilation)
Parent Company: Universal Music Company
Manufacturing: Made in the European Union
Series: Deutsche Grammophon Original Masters
Primary Artist: Mstislav Rostropovich (violoncello/cello)
Orchestras: Symphony Orchestra of the All-Union Radio, Symphony Orchestra of the Moscow State Philharmonic, Moscow Youth Symphony Orchestra
Conductors: Grigory Stolyarov, Samuel Samosud, Kirill Kondrashin
Piano Accompanists: Alexander Dedyukhin, Walter Naum, Vladimir Yampolsky
Recording Format: Mono recordings (ADD/AAD remastering)
Cover Photo Source: Private collection
Official Website: www.deutschegrammophon.com/originalmasters
Commemorative Release: Issued for Rostropovich's 80th birthday (March 2007)

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