There is too much emphasis on technical perfection nowadays, and not enough on what music is actually about - irony, joy, human suffering, love. Mstislav Rostropovich More Quotes by Mstislav Rostropovich More Quotes From Mstislav Rostropovich You must play for the love of music. Perfect technique is not as important as making music from the heart. Mstislav Rostropovich perfect play heart The artist must forget the audience, Mstislav Rostropovich forget-everything artist soul When I started learning the cello, I fell in love with the instrument because it seemed like a voice - my voice. Mstislav Rostropovich instruments voice Capitalism, communism ... it's all garbage. Mstislav Rostropovich garbage communism business All my life I wanted to play music with love to every member of the audience. Mstislav Rostropovich members play wanted 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. Mstislav Rostropovich violin voice hero I would rather have ideas and some difficulties of technique than a perfect technique and no ideas. Mstislav Rostropovich technique perfect ideas People are craving this great progress in electronics, going after computers, the Internet, etc. It's a giant progress technologically. But they must have a balance of soul, a balance for human beauty. That means art has an important role. Mstislav Rostropovich mean people art Explain to me, please, why in our literature and art so often people absolutely incompetent in this field have the final word. Mstislav Rostropovich literature people art 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 Shostakovichs compositions and Prokofievs were no longer to be played. Mstislav Rostropovich moscow boards firsts I like coming to the United States because the United States played an important role in my life. Mstislav Rostropovich united-states roles important I never studied, but I had the best teachers. Mstislav Rostropovich best-teacher teacher It is my aim, my destination in life to make the cello as beloved an instrument as the violin and piano. Mstislav Rostropovich violin beloved piano You know creators, composers, need a palette for life, a color for life. Mstislav Rostropovich composer color needs 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. Mstislav Rostropovich russia home children Baalbek is so beautiful. It is the heart of beauty in the Middle East - I want to embrace these people with my music. I will try so hard for them. Their president is a Christian, their prime minister is a Muslim. Music is for everyone. Mstislav Rostropovich christian heart beautiful 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. Mstislav Rostropovich moscow night years I played with the best Mstislav Rostropovich conductor world Music is part of history, and our history has lessons that cannot be separated from our greatest music. Mstislav Rostropovich greatest cannot music history 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.' Mstislav Rostropovich me mother beautiful son
