Mstislav Rostropovich learned Shostakovich's First Cello Concerto from the piano score in just four days, playing it from memory for the astonished composer.
Composition History
Shostakovich's Second Cello Concerto was conceived as a memorial piece for the poetess Anna Akhmatova, whom he called 'the queen of Russian poetry'.
Compositional Technique
Shostakovich's First Cello Concerto opens with a fast, pithy four-note theme from the soloist, a unique beginning for a cello concerto at the time.
Historical Context
The 'thaw' in international relations after Stalin's death in 1953 allowed Soviet musicians like David Oistrakh and Mstislav Rostropovich to perform outside the USSR for the first time.
Compositional Technique
The Second Cello Concerto features a unique orchestral lineup, including double woodwind, contrabassoon, two horns, timpani, a large percussion section, at least sixty-four strings, and a minimum of two harps always in unison.
Performer Biography
Mstislav Rostropovich, a cellist, composer, conductor, and pianist, inspired many composers to enrich the cello repertoire.
Composition History
Shostakovich's First Cello Concerto was written for Mstislav Rostropovich after he recorded Shostakovich's earlier cello sonata with the composer at the piano.
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Shostakovich: Cello Concertos 1 & 2
Shostakovich: Concertos for Cello and Orchestra Nos. 1 & 2
