The war years were the most difficult time of my life. There was real famine in Moscow. The water froze inside the houses. There was no heat.
From Mstislav Rostropovich
Music is part of history, and our history has lessons that cannot be separated from our greatest music.
If I make a speech, I need a translator. But music does not need a translation. People understand me through the sound. That I think is very important. This is just one planet, like one family.
Now I come to 75 years of age, I think what's most important in life is your conscience. If you told a lie and made other people suffer, I think that's very difficult when you reach this age.
I came to Moscow when I was 5 years old from Baku. To walk all night in Moscow will bring back my youth to me.
Explain to me, please, why in our literature and art so often people absolutely incompetent in this field have the final word.
I never studied, but I had the best teachers.
I played with the best conductors of the world.
In 1948 the first severe crash occurred in my life when Stalin put out his decree on 'formalism.' There was a bulletin board in the Moscow Conservatory. They posted the decree, which said Shostakovich's compositions and Prokofiev's were no longer to be played.
I listened to Pablo Casals, which was a big change for me. Without hearing Casals, I would never have advanced as I did.
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