Mstislav Rostropovich Quotes

Mstislav Rostropovich — Russian Musician born on March 27, 1927, died on April 27, 2007

Mstislav Leopoldovich "Slava" Rostropovich, KBE, was a Soviet and Russian cellist and conductor. He is considered to be one of the greatest cellists ever to have lived. 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 gave the premieres of 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 and Benjamin Britten... (wikipedia)

It is my aim, my destination in life to make the cello as beloved an instrument as the violin and piano.

You must play for the love of music. Perfect technique is not as important as making music from the heart.

You know creators, composers, need a palette for life, a color for life.

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.

Music is part of history, and our history has lessons that cannot be separated from our greatest music.