Mstislav Rostropovich: Cellist, Teacher, Legend

Description

Mstislav Rostropovich (1927-2007), internationally recognised as one of the world's finest cellists and musicians, always maintained that teaching is an important responsibility for great artists. Before his emigration in 1974 from Russia to the West, Rostropovich taught several generations of the brightest Russian talents - as Professor of the Moscow Conservatoire - for twenty-five years. His students included such artists as Jacqueline de Pre, Natalya Gutman, Karine Georgian and many others. Within these pages, Elizabeth Wilson vividly charts Rostropovich's musical development and the pivotal points in his career. Drawing from her own vivid reminiscences and those of former students, documents from the Moscow Conservatoire, and extensive interviews with Rostropovich himself, Wilson defines the philosophy behind his teaching and vividly recaptures the atmosphere of the Conservatoire and Moscow's musical life. This paperback edition includes a new introduction and epilogue by the author.

Elizabeth Wilson was born in London, attended schools in England, China and the USA and studied cello at the Moscow Conservatoire with Mstislav Rostropovich, learning to speak fluent Russian whilst there. On her return to London she embarked on a performing, teaching and writing career. Her recently updated biography of Shostakovich - Shostakovich: A Life Remembered (Faber) - was first published to great critical acclaim in l994, and her biography of Jacqueline du Pre (Faber) - similarly acclaimed - was published in 1998.