Mstislav Rostropovich - Legendary Recordings

Legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich was born in Azerbaijan, formerly part of the U.S.S.R. The intelligence and creativity of his interpretations have inspired contemporary composers such as Shostakovich, Britten, and Prokofiev. This 10-CD compilation consists of recordings of music made in the years 1950 to 1960 that had a very personal significance for him. Amongst the featured works are Bach's Six Cello Suites, Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No.1, and Prokofiev's Symphony-Concerto.

The music presented in this set also includes works by Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann, Chopin, Fauré and Dvorák, as well as music by the great Russian composers Tchaikovsky, Glazunov and Borodin. To accompany the master cellist are artists who were personal friends such as Sviatoslav Richter, Emil Gilels and Leonid Kogan, as well as the conductors Eugene Ormandy and Kurt Sanderling with the Philadelphia Orchestra and a variety of renowned orchestras from Moscow and Leningrad.

Personnel: Mstislav Rostropovich (cello), Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy (conductor), Moscow Philharmonic, Kyril Kondrashin (conductor), Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, Grigory Stolyarov (conductor), Leningrad State Orchestra, Kurt Sanderling (conductor), Alexander Dedyukhin, Emil Gilels, Sviatoslav Richter (piano), Leonid Kogan (violin), Rudolf Barshai (viola) and others