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Rostropovich Triumphs in Toronto
| Article
# : |
10962 |
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Section : |
THE ARTS
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| Issue
Date : |
6 / 1986 |
998 Words |
| Author
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Christopher Hume
Christopher Hume is the art critic of The Toronto Star and
frequently contributes articles on cultural subjects in
American and Canadian publications. |
He took the stage of Toronto's sparkling new Roy Thompson Hall like a bull charging a matador. Plunking himself down abruptly on his chair, Mstislav Rostropovich, fifty-nine, began to play. Even as the fiery Russian performer ripped the first note from his cello, it was clear why many consider him the greatest living master of that instrument.
The sound that emerged was one of surpassing loveliness and overwhelming dramatic intensity. Sometimes ferocious, sometimes sublime, his playing covers a wide range of emotions. Rostropovich, who is also music director of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., is a man in complete control of his métier. He and his accompanist, pianist Lambert Orkis, held the audience virtually spellbound. Rostropovich is not just another virtuoso; he is a marker of great music.
The recital began with Brahm's Sonata No. 2 in F Major, Op. 99. The opening movement is distinguished by its breathtaking chord changes, exquisite melodies, and dramatic double-stops. It was well suited to Rostropovich's preference for the passionate. The slow movement showed him in a different mood. Instead of flying fingers, it was long notes and lots of vibrato.
As is his habit, Rostropovich performed one of the unaccompanied cello suites by J.S. Bach. In this case, he chose the Suite No. 5 in C Minor.
Of course, not everyone approves of Rostropovich's approach to Bach. The sheer passion he brings to his playing tends to put the purists off. They regard the Suites as masterly exercises in instrumental polyphony. Rostropovich
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