About this Artist

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Editorial Reviews

As with most other Russian composers of the twentieth century, cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich had a close personal and professional connection with Sergey Prokofiev. It seems natural, then, that we should find Rostropovich conducting Prokofiev's complete symphonies (including both versions of the "Fourth Symphony"). It seems equally appropriate that the symphonies are performed by the Orchestre National de France, given Prokofiev's long and influential time spent in Paris. But what seems natural is not necessarily always the best. Rostropovich's conducting lacks some of the qualities that all but deified his cello playing: unwavering intensity and focus, consistent power of tone, meticulous technique, and a ubiquitous forward momentum. While these qualities are present in these performances, recorded between 1985 and 1987, they are not consistently present. The "First Symphony," for example, rather than being a clean, energetic example of neo-classicisms, is surprisingly and unsatisfyingly laid back, elongated, and romanticized. The savage intensity and almost mechanistic qualities of the "Third Symphony"'s opening music become dulled and soft around the edges as the movement progresses. Rostropovich also seems to ignore or not notice technical imperfections in the orchestra, ranging from balance issues, imprecise entrances, and lazy articulation. Rostropovich's musical understanding of the score -- especially given his relationship with the composer -- is not in question, but he is not entirely successful in translating that knowledge into a uniformly convincing set of the seven symphonies. Mike Brownell, All Music Guide

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