Leopold Rostropovich

In the history of world musical culture there are names which left a deep track behind. One of them is the family of Rostropovich. It is possible to say with confidence that each member of the family possessed an outstanding gift and special love for music. The ancestors of Rostropovich were descendants from Poland and Lithuania and used to be named Rostropovichyus. The founder of the kin was Jan Rostropovichyus. In their kin there were also the representatives of Russian, Polish, Lithuanian and Czech people. In 1851, in the times of Joseph Rostropovich, the nobiliary title was given to the kin. The representative of the kin of Rostropovich, Leopold Vitoldovich, was born on February 26, 1892. In 1904 — 1910 he was studying in the Petersburg Conservatory, and graduated from it with the golden medal. Having some financial problems, L. Rostropovich starts its teaching activity from the early age. In 1910 he becomes the instructor in Petersburg Musical School of N. Bystrov. At the same time he gives performances in Petersburg and Moscow. Later, L. Rostropovich was touring in Poland, France, Great Britain, USA and other countries. The foreign tour of young executor has received a big resonance on the pages of newspapers and periodicals of many countries. Its unique technology, special musical scent, melodism, performer’s temperament, virtuosity and artistic taste enraptured listeners and promised him the large future. In 1911 L. V. Rostropovich leaves for Paris, where the takes lessons from the famous Spanish violoncellist Pablo Kazals. In summer same year L. V. Rostropovich begins his concert activity. In Sevastopol, he performs one concert of K. Davydov with accompaniment of the orchestra under the administration of A. Glazunov. Then, together with a Russian composer S. Vasilenko, L. Rostropovich takes a tour to Kazan and Rostov. L. Rostropovich, which was performing much that time, periodically arrives in Baku in 1914 — 1916, where he is occupied both in concert and pedagogical activity. After the October Revolution of 1917, when the hunger began in the country, L. Rostropovich in 1918 moved to Saratov, where he was occupied in pedagogical activity for 4 years. One of his best students was Raya Gorbuzova, that became a well-known cellist. During his arrival in the city of Orenburg, he got acquainted with Sofya Fedotova, who would later become his wife.

The period from 1925 to 1931, connected with his stay in Baku, is considered as the following stage of his creative biography. The outstanding Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Gadzhibekov, which is familiar with L. Rostropovich’s previous activity in Baku, invites the musician to Azerbaijan. L. Rostropovich, which arrived in Baku in 1925 together with his family, begins to teach in the Azerbaijan State Conservatory on the class of cello. He made the large contribution to the development of the professional cello school in Azerbaijan. During his work in Baku, L. Rostropovich acted not only as a teacher and executor, but also a composer. 4 concertos and plays for cello and piano, written by him, were created in the romantic style. Simultaneously, L. Rostropovich became the creator of the first stringed quartet in the Azerbaijan State Conservatory. The archive documents, which testify about this, are stored in the museum as the valuable exhibit. Among the members of the quartet were Ye. Eydlin, N. Tsimberov, V. Adamskiy and L. Rostropovich himself. During his stay in Baku, L. Rostropovich grew a whole pleiad of the gifted Azerbaijan musicians. Among them should be especially noted Asaf Zeynally, which is the founder of Azerbaijan symphonic music and romance. A. Zeynally was studying in the class of musical composition and, at the same time, taking the lessons of cello from L. Rostropovich. In the teaching program of L. Rostropovich, along with the pieces of music of classical authors, there were also his own etudes and compositions. His spouse, Sofiya Nikolaevna Fedotov — Rostropovich, also worked in the Azerbaijan State Conservatory, where she taught the class of fortepiano. In the years of stay in Baku in 1925 — 1931, L. Rostropovich established close creative and friendly connections with a number of prominent Azerbaijan musicians. In connection with this, the outstanding Azerbaijan composer Uzeyir Gadzhibekova should be separately noted. Among the valuable materials, which are stored in the home — museum, there are two letters written by L. Rostropovich to Uzeyir Gadzhibekov. Besides, there are the letters of L. Rostropovich to A. Glazunov, A. Ziloti, V. Paskhalov, letters, written to son Mstislav, and also the number of unique materials of those relating to the Baku period in the fund of the museum. On 27 March, 1927, a son Mstislav was born in Baku. Attempting to give a good musical education to his children, the head of the family makes decision to move from Baku to Moscow in fall of 1931. In Moscow L. Rostropovich frequently performs the concerts and, at the same time, teaches in the school of the Gnesins Musical Technical School. Even from the early childhood, after revealing the son’s unique musical abilities, L. Rostropovich began to practice with him. They began with the piano first, and then continued with the cello. Mstislav wanted to practice only with the father. He could listen to music in his father’s performance for hours, that is why in 1934 — 1937 M. Rostropovich began to study in the Gnesins Musical School, and in 1937 — 1941 continued his education in the musical school of Sverdlovsk district of Moscow. In summer 1940 occurred the event, from which the countdown of M. Rostropovich’s concert activity started. Family left for Slovyansk along with the father, who again took the leadership on the cello group of the symphonic orchestra for summer season. Taking into account the L. Rostropovich’s activity in symphonic orchestras, his ensemble and solo performances, he was titled the Deserved Artist of RSRFSR. This title was given to only outstanding musicians.