The Soviet Regime’s Effect on the Musical Career of Mstislav Rostropovich
The Soviet Regime’s Effect On the Musical Career of
Mstislav Rostropovich
Subject: History
Word Count: 3,860
May 2009
Abstract Mstislav Rostropovich was one of the most famous cellists in world history and a very famous conductor. He popularized the cello to a level it had never reached before, expanding the cello repertoire more than any other cellist has ever done. This investigation will be focusing on the effect that the Soviet Union’s regime had on the musical career of Rostropovich. The Soviet regime oppressed every walk of life including music. This ruined the careers of many musicians but Rostropovich was able to continue to have a great career. This paper will only investigate the effect on his musical career. It will investigate how the Soviet Union pushed Rostropovich into deciding to leave the Soviet Union, which had a major effect on his career. One source that was used much throughout the paper will be Rostropovich The Musical Life of the Great Cellist, Teacher and Legend by Elizabeth Wilson. She was a student of Rostropovich and was able to interview Rostropovich. This book also has a large focus on his musical career. I am also a cellist and am very interested in the life of Mstislav Rostropovich. I found through this investigation that the Soviet Union’s regime had a very large effect on Rostropovich’s musical career. They put restrictions on his career as a performer both at home and internationally to a point where he barely had any career as a performer anymore. Tired of the oppression Rostropovich decided to leave the country. Leaving Russia had a monumental effect on his career, allowing him the freedom to be able to do things he wasn’t ever able to do and letting his career reach it’s full potential.
Table of Contents
Abstract…………………………………………………………………...……Page 1
Extended Essay…………………………………………………………….…..Pages 3-16 -Introduction……………………………………………………...……Page 3 -Childhood……………………………………………………...…….. Page 3 -Decree on
Mstislav Rostropovich
Subject: History
Word Count: 3,860
May 2009
Abstract Mstislav Rostropovich was one of the most famous cellists in world history and a very famous conductor. He popularized the cello to a level it had never reached before, expanding the cello repertoire more than any other cellist has ever done. This investigation will be focusing on the effect that the Soviet Union’s regime had on the musical career of Rostropovich. The Soviet regime oppressed every walk of life including music. This ruined the careers of many musicians but Rostropovich was able to continue to have a great career. This paper will only investigate the effect on his musical career. It will investigate how the Soviet Union pushed Rostropovich into deciding to leave the Soviet Union, which had a major effect on his career. One source that was used much throughout the paper will be Rostropovich The Musical Life of the Great Cellist, Teacher and Legend by Elizabeth Wilson. She was a student of Rostropovich and was able to interview Rostropovich. This book also has a large focus on his musical career. I am also a cellist and am very interested in the life of Mstislav Rostropovich. I found through this investigation that the Soviet Union’s regime had a very large effect on Rostropovich’s musical career. They put restrictions on his career as a performer both at home and internationally to a point where he barely had any career as a performer anymore. Tired of the oppression Rostropovich decided to leave the country. Leaving Russia had a monumental effect on his career, allowing him the freedom to be able to do things he wasn’t ever able to do and letting his career reach it’s full potential.
Table of Contents
Abstract…………………………………………………………………...……Page 1
Extended Essay…………………………………………………………….…..Pages 3-16 -Introduction……………………………………………………...……Page 3 -Childhood……………………………………………………...…….. Page 3 -Decree on
Bibliography: Harris,Jonathan. The Split in Stalin 's Secretariat, 1939-1948. 1 ed. Plymouth: Lexington Books, 2008. Mulcahy, Kevin V.. "Official Culture and Cultural Repression: The Case of Dmitri Shostakovich." Journal of Aesthetic Education 18, no. 3 (1984): 69-83. Schonberg, Harold C.. "1917--The Russian Revolution--1967; Soviet Music, Long Restricted by Ideology, Sees a Modern Trend Emerging." New York Times, October 12, 1967, Wilson,Elizabeth [ 2 ]. Harris,Jonathan. The Split in Stalin 's Secretariat, 1939-1948. 1 ed. Plymouth: Lexington Books, 2008. [ 3 ]. Mulcahy, Kevin V.. "Official Culture and Cultural Repression: The Case of Dmitri Shostakovich." Journal of Aesthetic Education 18, no. 3 (1984): 69-83.