Rostropovich – Cellist Of The Century (The Complete Warner Recordings) / The Genius and Boldness of Mstislav Rostropovich: Unveiled in the "Cellist of the Century" Box Set / Warner Classics 40x Audio CD + 3 DVD CD 2017

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Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich (27 March 1927 – 27 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian cellist and conductor. He is considered by many to be the greatest cellist of the 20th century. In addition to his interpretations and technique, he was well known for both inspiring and commissioning new works, which enlarged the cello repertoire more than any cellist before or since. He inspired and premiered over 100 pieces, forming long-standing friendships and artistic partnerships with composers including Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, Henri Dutilleux, Witold Lutosławski, Olivier Messiaen, Luciano Berio, Krzysztof Penderecki, Alfred Schnittke, Norbert Moret, Andreas Makris, Leonard Bernstein, Aram Khachaturian and Benjamin Britten.

Rostropovich was internationally recognized as a staunch advocate of human rights, and was awarded the 1974 Award of the International League of Human Rights. He was married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya and had two daughters, Olga and Elena Rostropovich.

"Rostropovich – Cellist of the Century" is an extensive box set that celebrates the life and work of the legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. The 40-disc collection includes all of Rostropovich's recordings with Warner Classics, as well as three DVDs of live performances and rare footage.

One of the highlights of the collection is the inclusion of previously unreleased recordings, offering a glimpse into Rostropovich's creative process and his development as an artist. The live performances on the DVDs are also a treat, showcasing Rostropovich's incredible stage presence and his ability to connect with audiences on a deep emotional level.

The box set is a fitting tribute to Rostropovich's legacy, celebrating his contributions to the world of classical music and his impact as a cultural ambassador for the Soviet Union during the Cold War. His commitment to the arts and his humanitarian work, including his advocacy for dissident artists and political prisoners, is also highlighted in the accompanying booklet.

In conclusion, "Rostropovich – Cellist of the Century" is a monumental collection that offers a comprehensive overview of Rostropovich's remarkable career. His legacy as a cellist, conductor, and cultural icon is beautifully captured in this box set, which is a must-have for fans of classical music and anyone interested in the life and work of this extraordinary artist.

Tracklist:

CD 1 Saint-Saëns: Cello Concerto No.1 In A Minor, Op.33 / Myaskovsky: Cello Concerto, Op.66
Mstislav Rostropovich, Philharmonia Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent (Recorded 1956)

CD 2 Dvořák: Cello Concerto
Rostropovich, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult (Recorded 1957)

CD 3 Prokofiev: Sinfonia Concertante, Op.125 / Rachmaninov: Vocalise
Rostropovich, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Alexander Dedyukhin (Piano) (Recorded 1957)

CD 4 Brahms: Cello Sonata No.2 / Popper: Elfin Dance / Debussy: Minstrels & Clair De Lune / Scriabin: Etude, Op.8 No.11
Cello And Piano Recital: Mstislav Rostropovich (Cello), Alexander Dedyukhin (Piano) (Recorded 1957)

CD 5 Brahms: Double Concerto
Oistrakh, Rostropovich, Szell, The Cleveland Orchestra (Recorded 1969)

CD 6 Beethoven: Triple Concerto
David Oistrakh, Mstislav Rostropovich, Sviatoslav Richter, Herbert Von Karajan, The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (Recorded 1969)

CD 7 Dutilleux: Tout Un Monde Lointain / Lutosławski: Cello Concerto
Mstislav Rostropovich, Orchestre De Paris, Direction: Serge Baudo - Witold Lutosławski (Recorded 1974)
Note: CD also contains André Joliver's Cello Concerto No.2, performed by M. Rostropovich and the Orchestre National De L'ORTF, conducted by the composer (Recorded 1969).

CD 8 Richard Strauss: Cello Sonata / Beethoven: Variations On "Ein Mädchen Oder Weibchen" And "See, The Conquering Hero Comes"
Mstislav Rostropovich (Cello), Vasso Devetzi (Piano) (Recorded 1974)

CD 9 Strauss: Don Quixote
Rostropovich, Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic, with Ulrich Koch (Viola) (Recorded 1975)

CD 10 Haydn: Cello Concertos In D & C
Mstislav Rostropovich, Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields, Directed By Iona Brown (Recorded 1975)

CD 11 Schumann: Cello Concerto / Bloch: Schelomo
Rostropovich, Bernstein, Orchestre National De France (Recorded 1976)

CD 12 Dvořák: Cello Concerto / Saint-Saëns: Cello Concerto No.1
Rostropovich, Giulini, London Philharmonic Orchestra (Recorded 1977)

CD 13 Brahms: Double Concerto
Itzhak Perlman, Mstislav Rostropovich, Bernard Haitink, Concertgebouw Orchestra (Recorded 1979)

CD 14 Marcel Landowski: Un Enfant Appelle - La Prison
Marcel Landowski, Galina Vichnievskaïa, Mstislav Rostropovich, Orchestre National De France, Orchestre National De Lille-Region Nord/Pas-De-Calais (Recorded 1982)

CD 15 Dvorak: Concerto Pour Violoncelle / Tchaikovski: Variations Rococo
Mstislav Rostropovitch, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa (Recorded 1985)

CD 16 Krzysztof Penderecki: Concerto N°2 Pour Violoncelle
Mstislav Rostropovitch, Philharmonia Orchestra, Direction: Krzysztof Penderecki (Recorded 1986)
Note: CD also contains Cristóbal Halffter's Cello Concerto No.2, performed by M. Rostropovich and the Orchestre National De France, conducted by the composer (Recorded 1985).

CD 17 Prokofiev: Symphonie Concertante Pour Violoncelle Op. 125 / Chostakovitch: Concerto Pour Violoncelle N° 1 Op. 107
Mstislav Rostropovitch, London Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa (Recorded 1987)

CD 18 Milhaud: Concerto N° 1 / Honegger: Concerto / Hoddinott: Noctis Equi
Mstislav Rostropovitch, London Symphony Orchestra, Kent Nagano (Recorded 1989)
Note: CD also contains Norbert Moret's Cello Concerto, performed by Rostropovich and the Collegium Musicum Zürich, conducted by Paul Sacher (Recorded 1989).

CDs 19 & 20 J.S. Bach: Cello-Suiten
Mstislav Rostropovich (Recorded 1991)

CD 21 C.P.E. Bach / Vivaldi / Tartini: Cello Concertos
Rostropovich, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Hugh Wolff‎ (Recorded 1992)

CD 22 Cello & Organ
Rostropovich, Tachezi (Recorded 1993)

CD 23 Cello Concertos For Mstislav Rostropovich: Gagneux: Triptyque / Shchedrin: Sotto Voce
Mstislav Rostropovich, London Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa (Recorded 1994)

CD 24 Schnittke: Concerto For Three • String Trio • Minuet
Gidon Kremer, Yuri Bashmet, Mstislav Rostropovich, Moscow Soloists (Recorded 1995)

CD 25 Alexander Knaifel: Make Me Drunk With Your Kisses
Mstislav Rostropovich (Recorded 1995)
Note: CD also contains David Matthews' Romanza (Op.49), performed by Rostropovich and the English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Raymond Leppard (Recorded 1990)

CD 26 Sofia Gubaidulina: The Canticle Of The Sun
Mstislav Rostropovich, London Voices, London Symphony Orchestra, Ryusuke Numajiri (Recorded 1999)
Note: CD also contains Shostakovich's 7 Romances on Verses by Blok (Op.127), performed by M. Rostropovich, U. Hoelscher and V. Devetzi, sung by G. Vishnevskaya (Recorded 1974)

CD 27 Rostropovich: The Russian Years: Prokofiev: Cello Sonata - Sinfonia Concertante - Cello Concertino
(Recorded 1950 & 1964)

CD 28 Rostropovich: The Russian Years: Short Pieces & Transcriptions
(Recorded 1960 & date unknown)

CD 29 Rostropovich: The Russian Years: Beethoven: Triple Concerto / Schumann: Cello Concerto / Tchaikovsky: Rococo Variations
(Recorded 1960 & 1970)

CD 30 Rostropovich: The Russian Years: Shostakovich: Cello Concertos
(Recorded 1961 & 1966)

CD 31 Rostropovich: The Russian Years: B. Tchaikovsky: Suite - Partita - Concerto
(Recorded 1961, 1966 & 1967)

CD 32 Rostropovich: The Russian Years: R. Strauss: Don Quixote / Villa-Lobos / Respighi / Honegger
(Recorded 1962 & 1964)

CD 33 Rostropovich: The Russian Years: Shostakovich, Kabalevsky, K. Khachaturian: Recordings With The Composers In Person
(Recorded 1962, 1967 & date unknown)

CD 34 Rostropovich: The Russian Years: Myaskovsky: Cello Concerto / Glazunov: Concerto Ballata / Taneyev: Canzona
(Recorded 1964 & date unknown)

CD 35 Rostropovich: The Russian Years: Tishchenko, A. Khachaturian, Toyama: Cello Concertos
(Recorded 1964, 1966 & 1967)

CD 36 Rostropovich: The Russian Years: World Premieres: Lopes-Graça, Knipper, Weinberg: Concertos
(Recorded 1964 & 1967)

CD 37 Rostropovich: The Russian Years: Britten: Cello Suites 1 & 2 - Symphony For Cello And Orchestra
(Recorded 1966, 1968 & 1964)

CD 38 Rostropovich: The Russian Years: In Memoriam Alexander Dedyukhin (Chopin, Myaskovsky, Shaporin)
(Recorded 1967 & date unknown)

CD 39 Rostropovich: The Russian Years: Back In Russia, 1996 (Piazzolla, Ustvolskaya, Schnittke)
(Recorded 1996)

CD 40 Mstislav Rostropovich On Dmitri Shostakovich: The Last Audio Interview, In Conversation With Jon Tolansky / Louis Aragon: Chant Pour Slava
(Recorded 2006 (Interview only))

DVD 1 Dvořák, Saint-Saëns: Cello Concertos
Mstislav Rostropovich, Carlo Maria Giulini, London Philharmonic Orchestra (Recorded/Filmed 1977)

DVDs 2 & 3 Bach: Cello Suites
(Recorded/Filmed 1991)