Death of Mstislav Rostropovich

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke Apr 27, 2007

Known for his active voice against the Soviet regime (and his support of other anti-Soviets such as writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn), Russian conductor and cellist Rostropovich left a legacy that is political as well as musical. Though he lived abroad for many years, he celebrated the fall of the Berlin Wall with a special performance of a Bach suite and resumed residence in his native land. Rostropovich will be laid to rest in Moscow's Novodevichy cemetery. Compatriot and friend, the former President Boris Yeltsin, is also buried there.

Rostropovich studied at the Moscow Conservatoire under other Russian giants of the 20th century, Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich. He boasted quite a concert career, his performances sometimes eliciting standing ovations before he began to play.

However, despite his impressive musical credentials, Rostropovich claims that his most important action was his political dissidence in 1970. But perhaps acting on conscious and professionalism do go hand-in-hand: by moving away from Russia, Rostropovich developed an extensive international following.

For more information, please read the full BBC story.