Mstislav Rostropovich plays Great Works for Cello and Orchestra

Antonio Vivaldi (Composer), Giuseppe Tartini (Composer), Luigi Boccherini (Composer), Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (Composer), Alexander Glazunov (Composer), Dmitry Shostakovich (Composer), Leonard Bernstein (Composer), Seiji Ozawa (Conductor), Paul Sacher (Conductor), Herbert von Karajan (Conductor), Mstislav Rostropovich (Conductor), Leonard Bernstein (Conductor), Zurich Collegium Musicum Orchestra (Orchestra), Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra), Boston Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra), Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Zurich Collegium Musicum Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Seiji Ozawa, Paul Sacher, Herbert von Karajan, Mstislav Rostropovich, Leonard Bernstein
• Composer: Antonio Vivaldi, Giuseppe Tartini, Luigi Boccherini, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Alexander Glazunov, et al.
• Audio CD (December 6, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B000001GJK
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #296,000 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars That sad and naturally expressive quality..., April 20, 2007

By 

Joe Anthony "Joe Anthony" (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Mstislav Rostropovich plays Great Works for Cello and Orchestra (Audio CD)

With the possible exeption of Yo-Yo Ma, the great Mstislav Rostropovich is about the greatest cellist of our time. He plays in the great and sad Russian tradition; very soulful and expressive.

The pieces on these CDs also feature such outstanding collaborating conductors as Karajan, Ozawa and Bernstein. There are several Baroque pieces which are done very nicely with adequate "verve". Of course the Russian pieces by Tchaikovsky, Glazounov and Shostakovich are outstanding in that Rostropovich has innate insight into the suffering Russian soul.

This was my first hearing of the Cello Concerto #2 by Shostakovich (I am well familiar with CC#1). It is quite interesting and ultra-modern and it creates a very intersting mood of beauty and anguish. I am surprised to not see more recordings of it.

The Bernstein piece, "Three Meditations from Mass", is also very interesting in that it too is quite "modern" but also soulful as a transcription from excerpts of a Catholic Mass written by a Jewish-American composer, conducting the Israel Phil. Orch.-it just goes to show the ecumenical spirit of music. Also, the similarity in the Jewish and Russian essence of suffering.

It is that sad and naturally expressive quality that makes Rostropovich so great.