Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich: biography, family, creativity

Today the name of Mstislav Rostropovich is the name of one of the greatest academic musicians of the 20th century. He not only had a unique performing talent, but he was also a principled man who opposed the policy of the totalitarian system of the USSR. For this Rostropovich was deported from the country. In the west, he made a world-wide career, after which he returned to his homeland when communism had already fallen.

Childhood

The future conductor and cellist Mstislav Rostropovich was born on March 27, 1927 in Baku. His parents and grandfathers were musicians, so the future of the child was determined even before he was born. In the years 1932-1937. Rostropovich studied at the Gnessin School in Moscow. It was one of the best musical educational institutions in the country.

With the onset of the war, a mass evacuation of civilians began in the capital. It fell into her and 14-year-old Rostropovich. The biography of the conductor was connected with the city of Chkalov (Orenburg). Mstislav's father died in the evacuation, and the teenager became the actual head of the family. At the age of fifteen, he began teaching at the local music school and thus fed relatives.

Then the first independent works appeared, which Rostropovich wrote. The biography of the budding composer was marked by the creation of a poem for cello, a piano concerto and a prelude for the pianoforte. During the war, the musician became a touring artist. He performed together with the Maly Theater Orchestra, performing works by Tchaikovsky. Rostropovich also gave concerts in military units, hospitals, district centers and collective farms.

Education

At the age of 16, the gifted performer entered the Moscow Conservatoire, where he began to learn the art of playing the cello and compositional skills. His teacher was Semen Kozolupov. He immediately noticed the potential that Rostropovich concealed in himself. The biography of the musician could have been different if he had not been in the attentive and demanding hands of Kozolupov.

In the conservatory, Rostropovich met Shostakovich and showed him the score of his own piano concerto, and also performed it for clarity. Dmitry Dmitrievich appreciated the efforts of the young student and invited him to study individually for the improvement of compositional skills.

However, in the future Rostropovich never began to compose his own music. The reason was simple. When he first heard Shostakovich's eighth symphony, which made a tremendous impression on him, the cellist decided to give up on his compositional future, realizing that he would never reach master's level anyway. Perhaps this was a youthful exaggeration, but Rostropovich accepted his decision. Time has shown that he made the right choice, since the whole world remembered him as a unique and inimitable performer.

Teacher

In 1945, the next All-Union competition of young musicians was held. Mstislav Rostropovich won the first prize. Biography of the cellist was marked by the first award, although during his life he received them a great many more. This success allowed the student of the second course to immediately move to the fifth. In 1950, the young performer won the Ganush Vigan Competition held in Prague.

At that time he had already graduated from the conservatory and graduate school. Rostropovich quickly became a bright and enviable teacher. For 26 years he worked at the Moscow Conservatory and 7 years in Leningrad. For three decades, Mstislav Rostropovich has trained many world-class professionals. Among them were Natalia Shakhovskaya, Natalia Gutman, Iosif Feigelson, Sergei Roldugin, David Geringas, Maris Villehrush, Ivan Monighetti, etc. Many of these students later themselves became professors of the most prestigious music academies around the world.

Creativity Rostropovich

What did Mstislav Rostropovich remember as a performer? The musician performed with a huge repertoire of works. His work can be divided into two groups. First, Rostropovich was a cellist (ensemble and soloist), and secondly - a symphonic and opera conductor. His talent was universally recognized - about 60 of the world's best composers wrote works specially for Mstislav Leopoldovich. He was the first to perform more than a hundred cello pieces and gave another 70 prime ministers with an orchestra. As a conductor, Rostropovich made his debut in 1957, when under his sensitive leadership at the Bolshoi Theater, the "Eugene Onegin" by Tchaikovsky was sold out. It was a resounding success.

During the Soviet period of his career, cellist Rostropovich toured throughout the USSR. He also acted as a chamber musician in the ensemble with David Oistrakh and Svyatoslav Richter. The wife of the performer was the opera singer Galina Vishnevskaya. Rostropovich often performed along with her on the same stage, accompanying his wife. In 1951, the conductor received the Stalin Prize, in 1965 - Lenin, and in 1966 became People's Artist of the USSR.

Protection of Solzhenitsyn

Mstislav Rostropovich, whose personal life was connected with many friends, was not afraid to defend them before a totalitarian state, even if he had to risk his position. In 1969, the composer sheltered at his dacha disgraced writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn. By that time Khrushchev's thaw was left in the past , and Brezhnev's authorities began to poison the author of "One Day of Ivan Denisovich" and other popular camp works.

The musician not only sheltered Solzhenitsyn, but also wrote an open letter in defense of him, which he sent to the main Soviet newspaper Pravda. After that, the cellist Rostropovich faced many problems. The authorities did not allow him to perform with large orchestras and did not allow touring abroad. The press began to ignore the cellist. In fact, he became a marginal and irreconcilable enemy for the Soviet state.

Life in the USA

In 1974, Mstislav Rostropovich and his wife Galina Vishnevskaya were deported from the USSR. In 1978 they were deprived of Soviet citizenship. The entire history of the great musician's opals began with an open letter to Pravda. Already after the fall of communism and the return to democratic Russia, Rostropovich in one of the interviews said that he considers that gesture in defense of Solzhenitsyn the best act in his life, since it was he who reconciled the conductor with his own conscience.

After leaving the Soviet Union, the musician and his family lived mostly in the United States. He was the father of two daughters. Olga and Elena Rostropovich were born in the 50s and left the country by their children. In the years 1977-1994. The conductor directed the Washington National Symphony Orchestra. Once in four years, this team played at the inauguration ceremony of the US president. Also, Rostropovich regularly performed at festive concerts dedicated to the Independence Day on July 4. In addition, he toured around the world. At the invitation, he performed with the main orchestras of France, Britain, Germany, Austria, Japan, etc.

The World Star

Rostropovich met his 60th birthday in Washington. In 1987, on the occasion of this date, the First World Congress of Cellists was held in the American capital. At the same time, Ronald Reagan presented the conductor with the highest state award - the Freedom Medal. Rostropovich was visited even by the Queen of Great Britain Elizabeth II.

The musician was by nature an extrovert and cheerful person. During the years of dizzying glory abroad, he acquired a colossal number of high-ranking friends and friends. On his jubilee gathered all the world's musical beau monde. Friends of Rostropovich were Picasso, Chagall, Dali, Galich and Brodsky. In 1994, when the conductor announced the end of cooperation with the Washington National Symphony Orchestra, he held a grand gala concert. Letters of gratitude to Rostropovich was sent to all American presidents whom he met at his post: Carter, Reagan, Bush Sr. and Clinton.

Musician and citizen

In the West, Rostropovich became known not only as an unsurpassed musician, but also as a human rights champion. He often performed with concerts in especially troubled regions of the world. For example, in 1989, the maestro played one of Bach's cello suites near the Berlin Wall. In 1974, he became the owner of the award awarded to him by the League of Human Rights.

Meanwhile, the situation in the world has changed. In the USSR, a new leadership has come to power, embarking on the path of reform. In 1990, Mikhail Gorbachev abolished the ruling, according to which Rostropovich and Vishnevskaya were deprived of citizenship, awards and honorary titles. However, the musician wanted to remain a "citizen of the world". He did not take back Soviet citizenship, and later Russian. In 1991, when on the last gasp of the Soviet system the reactionaries staged the putsch of the Emergency Committee, Rostropovich flew specially from Paris to Moscow and joined the crowd defending the White House.

Continuation of career

In the nineties and zero years the performer continued to actively touring. The cello of Rostropovich sounded in the largest cities of the world. As a conductor, he performed with the "Queen of Spades" in San Francisco, with "The Tsar's Bride" - in Monte Carlo, with "Lady Macbeth" - in Munich. The musician began to give concerts in Russia. In 1996, he performed at the Bolshoi Theater with Khovanshchina.

Rostropovich often recorded concerts for the radio. In 2003, he received his regular Grammy Award. This time it was honorable - for "life in the records" and "extraordinary career". In total, Mstislav Leopoldovich won the Grammy Award five times. Throughout his career, critics have noted the artistry, emotionality, inspiration and filigree beauty of the maestro's play.

Rostropovich Foundation and Festival

As a teacher, the conductor opened a school in Valencia in 2004, where he was taught the highest musical skill. The cellist's organizational abilities were manifested in his ebullient activity and the creation of new festivals. Such events made it possible to open new young names of talented performers for the whole world. Today in memory of the great musician Rostropovich festival takes place every year.

The conductor became president of his own fund. His funds went to the aid of gifted students. Thanks to him, new grants and grants for children-musicians appeared in Russia. Today the music fund of the late father is headed by Olga Rostislavovich Rostislavovich.

Medical aid

As a philanthropist, Rostropovich has also become famous for his projects to help medical institutions in Russia. This activity was dealt with and dealt with by the Charitable Foundation of Vishnevskaya-Rostropovich. Today it is headed by the daughter of the artist Elena Rostropovich.

In 2000, the organization began to implement a program to vaccinate children against hepatitis B. At that time, it was the first such undertaking after the collapse of the USSR.

Death

In 2006, the media reported on the deterioration of Mstislav Leopoldovich's health. The musician underwent an operation in Geneva, Switzerland. In December, the conductor was hospitalized after returning to Moscow from Voronezh.

He spent three months in the hospital. Shortly after his discharge in March, the maestro celebrated his 80th birthday. His deservedly congratulated the most famous colleagues in the music shop, politicians, public figures and old friends. The celebration took place in the Moscow Kremlin. Soon Rostropovich's condition deteriorated again. On April 27, 2007, he passed away. After the legend's death in Moscow, Rostropovich's music festival takes place every year.

Confession

Rostropovich was a member of the Academy of Arts of France, the Academy of Sciences and Arts of the United States, the Royal Academy of Music of England, etc. In more than 50 universities the musician became a professor, and in dozens of cities around the world - an honorary citizen. France awarded him the Order of the Legion of Honor, and the Japanese Art Association noted the conductor's conduct of the Imperial Prize. The British authorities have made Rostropovich an honorary knight.

In the USA, the musician received the President's Medal, in Sweden - the Order of the Polar Star. In total, there were state awards from 29 countries in his piggy bank. On the eve of the 80th anniversary of Rostropovich received the Russian Order "For Services to the Fatherland" I degree.