Rostropovich: The Genius of Cello—Documentary by John Bridcut Receives Rave Reviews
One would think there is little more to say about the great cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. He’s been the subject of countless interviews, articles, books, and videos for years, even before his death in 2007. Futhermore, his greatest legacy, his recording and tapes of his performances, have been extremely well documented, giving fans the possibility to listen to many different eras of Rostropovich.
A new documentary from the BBC by John Bridcut, however, shows that there’s plenty more to know about this fascinating musician. Certainly, it’s hard to depict Rostropovich in a boring light: in addition to his sensational cello playing, he was also a controversial political figure, and a staunch humanitarian. He was not only the most charismatic cellists of the past century, but most likely one of the most charismatic people who ever lived:
Everyone who ever met him – and I was lucky enough to interview him on three occasions – knows how you’d get the three big kisses, the same stories that changed slightly each time. But his energy, the boundless devotion which led him to leap on a plane to Japan when he learned that a good friend, a sumo wrestler, had just lost a child, play Bach outside his house and fly back to England again, the phenomenal combination of cliff-edge intensity and perfect intonation in his playing: these amount to the real thing.
One of the high points of the documentary, according to a review by David Nice is Bridcut’s use of interviews with former students and others—such as his widow Galina Vishnevskaya—in which he films and discusses their reactions when listening to recordings of Rostropovich. The film also includes new archival footage of Britten’s Cello Symphony with the composer conducting, which elicits a particularly strong reaction from the cellists interviewed.
No matter how much information on Rostropovich is published, more will never hurt. The world would be deprived of a great role model and of countless breathtaking musical moments without this man. A documentary with this much personal relation and first-hand footage is something to be cherished, and the release of the film beyond the BBC to channels and DVDs around the world should be highly anticipated.
READ THE FULL REVIEW AND WATCH AN EXCERPT FROM THE FILM BELOW!
http://www.theartsdesk.com/classical-music/rostropovich-genius-cello-bbc-four
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4CgB1T_gVo
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