Rostropovich Festival in Orenburg - the return of the ancestors to their homeland

ORENBURG. The III International Rostropovich Festival in Orenburg ended with the Tsar’s Bride.

Orenburg - the city in the biography of Mstislav Rostropovich is not accidental. Thanks to the tireless activity of the Fedotov musical dynasty, one of the representatives of which was the cellist’s mother, Sofia Nikolaevna, a meeting of the inhabitants of this region with many of the classical masterpieces subsequently took place.

The marriage of the parents of Mstislav Leopoldovich took place here. Only the move of the family to Baku, which became the birthplace of Rostropovich, at the invitation of the famous Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov, does not allow us to consider the great musician an indigenous resident of these places. The war brought the Rostropovich family back here. During the evacuation, Leopold Vitoldovich (and later Mstislav) worked as a teacher at the local art institute. Already accepted in the status of world celebrity, he came here more than once with performances, held master classes for future geniuses. Now the school is named after these wonderful musicians.

Therefore, interest in the work of Rostropovich and the appearance in the homeland of his ancestors in 2013, the festival is quite natural. The Rostropovich Foundation for Cultural and Humanitarian Programs takes an active part in its organization, the daughter of Mstislav Leopoldovich, Olga, took over the art leadership. The guests of the musical festival dedicated to the great musician in the past years were Yuri Bashmet, the Svetlanov Orchestra, soloists of the Galina Vishnevskaya Center, the chamber ensemble Fondazione Orchestra di Padova del Veneto and many others.

The “Tsar’s bride” by Rimsky-Korsakov performed by the soloists of the Vishnevskaya Center, presented on the closing day, is a welcome gift for lovers of classical vocals who are not spoiled by such productions, since there is no opera house in the city. This year’s program also gave them meetings with the magnificent pianist Boris Berezovsky, Sergey Polyanichko’s unique horn orchestra, Svetlanov’s orchestra and his wonderful soloists. Within the framework of the festival, Olga Rostropovich met a new generation of students from the Institute of Arts, thereby not departing from the traditions of her illustrious family.

Elena Tanakova © Gallerix.ru