Mstislav Rostropovich: The Complete Emi Recordings

Never has such a complete set of this legendary cellist been released. This will definitely make a great addition to your collection or a perfect gift for any music lover!

J.S. Bach: Bach: 6 Suites (Sonatas) for Cello BWV1007-12
Haydn: Haydn: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No. 1 in C Major, Hob. VIIb/1 (Cadenzas: Benjamin Britten); Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No. 2 in D Major, Hob. VIIb:2 (Cadenzas: Mstislav Rostropovich)
Schumann: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 129 (1977 Digital Remaster)
Beethoven: Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello & Piano in C Major, Op. 56 (1997 Digital Remaster); 12 Variations on Mozart's 'Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen' from 'Die Zauberflöte' Op. 66 (1997 Digital Remaster); 12 Variations for Cello and Piano on "See the Conquering Hero Comes" from Handel's "Judas Maccabaeus"
Brahms: Double Concerto for Violin & Cello in A minor, Op. 102 (1997 Digital Remaster); Cello Sonata No. 2 in F Op. 99 (2007 Digital Remaster); Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra Op. 102 (1988 Digital Remaster)
Dvořák: Cello Concerto in B minor B191 (Op. 104) (2001 Digital Remaster); Cello Concerto in B minor B191 (Op. 104) (2000 Digital Remaster); Silent woods B173 (Op. 68 No. 5) (1997 Digital Remaster); Nocturne et Scherzo (1997 Digital Remaster)
Saint Saëns: Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor Op. 33 (2008 Digital Remaster)
Popper: Elfin Dance; Dance of the Elves Op. 39 (1997 Digital Remaster)
Debussy: Minstrels (Preludes I, 12); Suite bergamasque
Scriabin: Etude Op.8 No.11; 12 Etudes Op. 8 (1997 Digital Remaster)
R. Strauss: Don Quixote - fantastic variations for cello, viola & orchestra Op.35; Cello Sonata in F major, Op.6; Stimmungsbilder Op. 9 (1997 Digital Remaster)
Prokofiev: Sinfonia Concertante for Cello and Orchestra in E minor Op. 125 (2007 Digital Remaster)
Miaskovsky: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in C minor Op. 66 (2007 Digital Remaster)
Rachmaninov: Vocalise Op. 34 No. 14 (2007 Digital Remaster)
Saint Saëns: Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor Op. 33 (2001 Digital Remaster)
Dutilleux: Cello Concerto (Tout un monde lointain) (2002 Digital Remaster)
Lutosławski: Cello Concerto; Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano in C Op. 56
Gubaidulina: The Canticle of the Sun
Schnittke: Concerto for Three; String Trio; Minuet; Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 2 (1997 Digital Remaster); Epilogue for Cello, Piano & Tape (1997 Digital Remaster)
Shostakovich: Seven Romances on Verses by Alexander Blok Op. 127
Beethoven: Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello & Piano in C Major, Op. 56 (1997 Digital Remaster)
Schumann: Cello Concerto in A minor Op. 129 (1997 Digital Remaster)
Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme in A major Op.33
Villa-Lobos: Bachianas brasileiras No. 1 (1997 Digital Remaster)
Respighi: Adagio con variazioni (1997 Digital Remaster)
Honegger: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra H72 (1997 Digital Remaster) Itaneiev: Canzona (arr. composer from clarinet & strings original) (1997 Digital Remaster)
Miaskovsky: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in C minor Op. 66 (1997 Digital Remaster)
Glazunov: Concerto ballata Op. 108 (1997 Digital Remaster)
Prokofiev: Sonata for Cello and Piano Op. 119 (1997 Digital Remaster); Symphony-Concerto for Cello and Orchestra Op. 125 (1997 Digital Remaster); Concertino for Cello and Orchestra Op. 132 (1997 Digital Remaster); Cinderella Op. 87 (1997 Digital Remaster); Waltz-Coda (transcribed Rostropovich); March from 'The Love for Three Oranges' (1997 Digital Remaster)
Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1 in E flat Op. 107 (1997 Digital Remaster); Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No. 2 in G Op. 126 (1997 Digital Remaster); Sonata for Cello and Piano in D minor Op 40 (1997 Digital Remaster)
Britten: Suite for Cello Op. 72 (1997 Digital Remaster); Second Suite for Cello Op. 80 (1997 Digital Remaster); Symphony for Cello and Orchestra Op. 68 (1997 Digital Remaster)
B. Chaikovsky: Suite for Solo Cello in D minor (1997 Digital Remaster); Partita for Cello, Piano, Harpsichord, Electric Guitar & Percussion (1997 Digital Remaster); Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (1997 Digital Remaster)
Tishchenko: Concerto for Cello, 17 Wind Instruments, Percussion and Organ Op. 23 (1997 Digital Remaster)
Khachaturian: Concerto-Rhapsody (1997 Digital Remaster); Sonata for Cello and Piano (1997 Digital Remaster)
Toyama: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (1997 Digital Remaster)
Lopez-Graça: Concerto da camera (1997 Digital Remaster)
Knipper: Concerto-Monologue for Cello, Seven Brass Instruments & Two Kettledums (1962) (1997 Digital Remaster)
Vainberg: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra Op. 43 (1997 Digital Remaster)
Kabalevsky: Sonata for Cello and Piano in B flat Op. 71 (1997 Digital Remaster)
Stravinsky: Russian Song (Parasha's Aria from 'Mavra') (1997 Digital Remaster); Le Baiser de la fée (1997 Digital Remaster); Pas de deux
Milhaud: Saudades do Brasil Op. 67 (1997 Digital Remaster)
de Falla: El amor brujo (1997 Digital Remaster)
Sinding: Suite for Violin and Orchestra in A minor Op. 10 (Suite im alten Stil) (1997 Digital Remaster)
Fauré: 3 Songs Op. 7 (1997 Digital Remaster)
Shaporin: Romance: 'I see you' (transcribed Kubatsky) (1997 Digital Remaster); Five Pieces Op. 25 (1997 Digital Remaster)
Schubert: Impromptu No. 3 in G flat D899 (1997 Digital Remaster)
Handel: Sonata for Violin and Continuo in D HWV 371 (1997 Digital Remaster); 5 Pieces Op. 25 (1997 Digital Remaster)
Chopin: Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor Op. 65 (1997 Digital Remaster); Introduction and Polonaise Op. 3 (1997 Digital Remaster)
Miaskovsky: Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 2 in A minor Op. 81 (1997 Digital Remaster)
Piazzolla: Le Grand Tango (1997 Digital Remaster)
Ustvolskaya: Grand Duet (1997 Digital Remaster)
Mstislav Rostropovich interviewed by Jon Tolansky

Mstislav Rostropovich was born on 27th March 1927 and died from cancer a month after his 80th birthday. Whereas Pablo Casals was the leading cellist of the first half of the 20th century, Rostropovich took on this mantle for the second half. He was more than just a cellist however as he conducted and was an excellent piano accompanist to his wife, the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya. He also became a leading citizen of the world by his support for the Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn, then stripped of his Russian citizenship by the Communists after being granted a visa to work abroad in 1974 and flying back to assist Boris Yeltsin when the new Parliament was besieged by Communist renegades in 1991. This collection brings together all the recordings with cello that he made for EMI Classics including both versions of the Brahms Double Concerto made with Oistrakh and Szell in 1969 and Perlman and Haitink in 1979; the Dvořák Concerto with Boult in 1957 and Giulini in 1977 and Saint-Saëns Concerto No. 1 with Sargent in 1956 and Giulini in 1977; the Bach Cello Suites both on CD and DVD and the 13CDs of recordings which Rostropovich brought to EMI entitled “The Russian Years". Such was his enthusiasm and remarkable playing he inspired numerous composers to write for him. He always expressed his view that the greatest were Sergei Prokofiev, who died on the same day as Stalin, 5th March 1953, Dmitri Shostakovich, died on 9th August 1975 and Benjamin Britten, died on 4th December 1976. Both Rostropovich and Shostakovich had lost their fathers whilst teenagers so when Shostakovich became his teacher he was more of a surrogate father and you may imagine his anguish at not being able to return to Moscow for the funeral (having been stripped of his citizenship); it was thus at Britten’s funeral service that he could give vent to his sadness at the loss of both great friends. Slava, as he was universally known by his countless friends and colleagues, has left the world a matchless recorded legacy of his genius. We should all listen and be grateful.