Firma Melodiya presents a recording of Antonín Dvořák’s Concerto for cello and orchestra performed by Mstislav Rostropovich.

This Dvořák’s concerto is one of the most popular works of the cello repertoire. The composer wrote to a friend, “This concerto significantly outdoes both of my concertos, the violin one and the piano one. Don’t be surprised that I’m talking about it myself – you can’t rely on one’s own praise, - but I can tell you this piece brings me enormous joy, and I think my appraisal is not wrong”.

When the sheet music of the concerto fell into Brahms’ hands, he exclaimed, “Why am I the last to know that a cello concerto can be written like this? I would have written it long ago”.

Dvořák’s concerto takes a special place in the repertoire of one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century. He definitely played it for more than a dozen times with various orchestras and conductors, including his last concert as a cellist in 2005 in Vienna, but each of the performances was a thrilling event, a breath-taking aesthetic experience for the listeners.

This recording of the concerto was made at the Big Hall of the Moscow Conservatory with the Big Symphony Orchestra of All-Union Radio conducted by Rostropovich’s close friend and outstanding maestro Gennady Rozhdestvensky.