Zitat des Tages von Mstislav Rostropovich:
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.
You know creators, composers, need a palette for life, a color for life.
The cello is a hero because of its register - its tenor voice. It is a masculine instrument, whereas the violin is feminine because of its soprano pitch. When the cello enters in the Dvorak Concerto, it is like a great orator.
Now I want to use money in a good way. I make foundations back home in Russia, I have sponsored vaccinations for more than one million children in my homeland and I have founded scholarships in the names of my great Russian compatriots - Oistrakh, Richter, Gilels, Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Schnittke.
You must play for the love of music. Perfect technique is not as important as making music from the heart.
It is my aim, my destination in life to make the cello as beloved an instrument as the violin and piano.
I listened to Pablo Casals, which was a big change for me. Without hearing Casals, I would never have advanced as I did.
Music is part of history, and our history has lessons that cannot be separated from our greatest music.
My mother carried me for 10 months. I asked her 'Mother, you had an extra month, why you didn't make me a beautiful face?' and mother told me, 'My son, I was busy making your beautiful hands and heart.'
I like coming to the United States because the United States played an important role in my life.
I played with the best conductors of the world.
I never studied, but I had the best teachers.