Mstislav Rostropovich & Vasso Devetzi - Beethoven: Cello Variations - Richard Strauss: Cello Sonata (1975/2017) [24/96]

In March 2017, Warner Classics marks the 10th anniversary of Mstislav Rostropovich’s death and 90 years since his birth with the deluxe collectors’ box set Cellist of the Century, comprising of selected remastered recordings.

The label was given unprecedented access to Rostropovich’s personal archive and worked closely with his daughters Elena and Olga. The range and variety of music in the box set is nothing short of extraordinary, embracing works by more than 60 composers, from iconic recordings to rarities. A number of the live performances originate from Russian tapes saved from destruction by resourceful Soviet archivists when Rostropovich was exiled from the USSR (1974-1990), and which came back to light in the late 1990s. Another highlight is the complete Bach Cello Suites, presented here in both audio and video versions. The collection also features an exclusive audio interview of Rostropovich recorded by personality Jon Tolansky.

Although Rostropovich died 10 years ago, on 27 April 2007, he remains a powerful presence on the world’s cultural scene through his legacy as the greatest cellist of his time, as a brave advocate of human rights, and as a man of proverbial generosity and charisma.

Special care has been taken to ensure the highest quality of sound reproduction. Wherever possible, the engineers of Art et Son studios have refined the sound, always with scrupulous respect to the original sources. The analogue recordings originating from EMI and Erato (CD1-15) have been remastered in 96 kHz from the original tapes. These are, therefore, the first recordings where the presence and definition of sound are heard in such detail.

TRACKLIST

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

1 12 Variations on "Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen" (from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte), Op. 66 10:30
2 12 Variations on "See the conqu'ring hero comes" (from Handel's Judas Maccabaeus), WoO 45 13:38

Richard Strauss (1864-1949

Cello Sonata in F Major, Op. 6
3 I. Allegro con brio 09:24
4 II. Andante ma non troppo 07:09
5 III. Finale (Allegro vivo) 17:25

PERSONNEL
Mstislav Rostropovich, cello
Vasso Devetzi, piano

Digitally remastered