<A HREF="http://www.lso.co.uk/acatalog/LSO_Box_Office_Shop_Spring_2002___Page_3_13.html" TARGET=_blank><B>Click through</B></A> to the Barbican web site to book tickets for the Rostropovich 75th Birthday Series. Rostropovich, a wonderful cellist and conductor, has a series of concerts in his honour at the Barbican. In particular he will be conducting the London Symphony Orchestra for Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, with dancers from the Lithuanian Ballet.<P>Dates - thursday 14 March to Saturday 16 March<BR>Ticket prices £18-£35<P>Plus there is a Discovery Day on the Saturday from 12 till 5 in which R&J will be explored as part of discovering how composers write music with dance in mind. (£13)<P>I have so much admiration for Rostropovich - not to be missed. There are other concerts and a gala without dance!<BR>Telephone the Box office on 020 7638 8891<p>[This message has been edited by Emma Pegler (edited January 12, 2002).]

Good spot Emma! All the concerts look interesting. The first with Copland, Prokofiev and Ravel and the all-Britten concert as well. I remember a wonderful evening with Rostropovich conducting Britten's 'War Requiem' in the Royal Albert Hall.<P>For those planning to go to the Barbican this year, do check out the Barbican Card, which gives the best discounts of any friends scheme in London. Here's the link:<BR> <A HREF="http://www.barbican.org.uk/membership/barbicancard/index.asp" TARGET=_blank>http://www.barbican.org.uk/membership/barbicancard/index.asp</A>

For those who may have read the interview with Rostropovich - here are the details for some of the concerts and Romeo and Juliet.

Rostropovich conducts 'Romeo & Juliet' at The Barbican with a semi-staging by Lithuanian Ballet.<P><B>An icon for our times</B> <BR>The Guardian Profile: Mstislav Rostropovich<BR>His family once had to beg for a room, but he now owns homes in six cities. One of the great musicians of the past century, he was exiled from Russia as a dissident and returned to fight opponents of Yeltsin's reforms. John O'Mahony in The Guardian on the cellist and conductor for whom music and religion are twin strengths<P><BR>A disquieting incident occurs at the tragic end of Prokofiev's ballet Romeo And Juliet in Valencia's Teatre Principal. From the orchestra pit - strategically placed between two dancing areas, so that the musicians are visible throughout - the solitary figure of conductor Mstislav Rostropovich rises slowly, pale and ghostlike. At first there is a suspicion that he has simply come forward too early for his curtain call. Then, as it becomes clear that the episode has been choreographed, there is a fear that an evening of faultless musicality and some sublime dancing will be marred by a mawkish gesture. But as the audience holds its breath, Rostropovich steps forward, kneels down and clasps the lovers' hands together with a poise and simplicity that couldn't be more dignified. <P><A HREF="http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4365989,00.html" TARGET=_blank><B>click for more</B></A><P><BR>

Although it dosn't mention his name on the Barbican web site, I've discovered the choreography is by Vladimir Vasiliev. I have seen nine different versions of Prokofiev's R&J and consider this one to be the best. I don't know much about the Lithuanian Ballet though, but as Valery Panov started his career with them, I am hoping standards will be high.<P>One of my friends is actually flying in from Los Angeles for this, so I expect all you London balletomanes to storm the box office forthwith.

Romeo and Juliet <P>The music critic gives 3 stars and the dance critic 1 star. I saw the production last night and it is well worth more than 1 star. To see Rostropovich dancing as he conducts with the dancers dancing around the orchestra was extremely enjoyable. I recommend a viewing. You will not get so many opportunities to see the great man up close like this and the Lithuanian Ballet, with dancers from the Stanislavsky Ballet, were extremely good. Cassandra - Vailiev's choreography was worth flying in for! I will write more later.<P>3 stars <BR>Barbican, London<P>Andrew Clements<BR>Guardian<P>Friday March 15, 2002<P><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>The 75th birthday of the greatest cellist of the second half of the 20th century is certainly an occasion worth celebrating. But it is Mstislav Rostropovich as conductor rather than cellist who is in the spotlight in the London Symphony Orchestra's four programme tribute over the next two weeks. <P>The series features three of the composers with whom Rostropovich had a close creative relationship, Prokofiev, Shostakovich and Britten, before ending with a gala night. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4374572,00.html" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A><P><BR>Romeo and Juliet <BR>1 star <BR>Barbican, London<P>Judith Mackrell<BR>Guardian<P>Friday March 15, 2002<P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>As a ballet score Romeo and Juliet almost writes itself on to the stage, sound painting the street fights in swaggering detail. Yet if the colour and brio of Prokofiev's realism are a gift to choreographers, they work as well for concert goers who only have to close their eyes to imagine the story unfolding. <P>And this is why Rostrapovich's idea of a semi-staged performance of the work is so mad. To watch him conduct and to listen to the music are sufficiently theatrical in themselves. Why impose a bizarrely compromised half-ballet on to the experience? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4374573,00.html" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A><BR>

LSO/Rostropovich<BR>by Richard Morrison<BR>Concert: Barbican<BR> <BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>LIKE the feasts of great Renaissance princes, celebrations of Mstislav Rostropovich’s landmark birthdays tend to go on for months. His 75th is still a fortnight away, but already the stream of “Slava” homage has become a torrent. There are TV shows, books, articles, souvenir CDs, a week of Radio 3 tributes, and of course grand galas on several continents. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR> <BR><A HREF="http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,685-238118,00.html" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A><P>

After reading the recent interview with Vasko Vassiliev about ballet conductors, it was very refreshing to discover that Mstislav Rostropovitch is prepared to undertake a full length Romeo and Juliet at the age of 75. I had high expectations for the event and I wasn’t disappointed.<P>I went to the Friday performance featuring Natalia Ledovskaya and Georgi Smilevski, both from the Moscow Stanislavsky Company, in the title roles, but without wishing to denigrate their performances in any way, it has to be said that the star of the evening was Rostropovitch himself. I don’t think I have ever heard the complete ballet score played in a concert hall before, only the suites, and I am confidant I shall never hear the score played so well again. At times the music swept over the audience like a tidal wave with Rostropovich attacking the score with an audible growl. And with a true master on the rostrum, he highlighted aspects of the music that are generally fudged over in the opera house. I will never forget that deep urgent throb of a dying heartbeat that accompanied Mercutio’s death or the lingering despair of every note in the final crypt scene. But the most moving moment came at the very end, when in the final moments of the ballet Rostropovitch walked slowly towards the bodies of the lovers to kneel beside them. Then, with great love and tenderness, he joined their hands together. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house.<P>Vladimir Vasiliev’s choreography still impresses me. He tells the story in pure dance terms with virtually no props and a minimum of décor. Only the costumes indicate the Middle Ages. For example, when the Capulets’ and Montagues’ clash, they don’t bash swords together unconvincingly – they have no swords. Instead they dance out their anger on different levels with real hatred and ferocity. Vasiliev understands Shakespeare and is able to balance the scenes with the young lovers with the vibrant Veronese street scenes in a way that has eluded other choreographers. The corps de ballet of the Lithuanian Ballet danced with complete conviction alongside the Stanislavsky principals, effortlessly riding the swell of Prokofiev’s music.<P>But if I thought the evening belonged to Slava Rostropovitch, I think he had other ideas. Before his final exit from the stage he returned to the rostrum to retrieve his score and holding it aloft, kissed it fervently. I think he was thanking Prokofiev.<BR>

<B>A gloriously inspired Prokofiev</B><BR>By Rob Cowan in The Independent<P><BR>It was while watching "Slava" Rostropovich clench his fists during the climax of "Juliet's Tomb scene" that I suddenly thought to myself, "mark this moment: you'll want to tell your grandchildren about it." And yet the idea of a semi-staged Romeo & Juliet had seemed potentially problematic. Presenting a two-and-a-half-hour ballet in concert is difficult at the best of times. There's no "symphonic argument" to hold you captive. There are no voices to explain the story, just dances, more dances and the odd expansive pas de deux. But Thursday's novel solution worked a treat.<P><A HREF="http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=275792" TARGET=_blank><B>click for more</B></A>

<B>Fanfare for Slava from a host of his peers</B><BR>by geoff brown<BR>Concert: Rostropovich Gala <BR>Barbican<BR> <BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>THERE were the world’s top musicians; there were the King and Queen of Spain, and worthies of every shape and size. There were television cameras, a birthday cake in the shape of a cello, roasted clichés from the master of ceremonies, Humphrey Burton, a lot of love, and music, music, music. <P>Some of us on reaching 75 might prefer to stay put with the carpet slippers. But when you’re the world’s best-loved musician, universally known as Slava, and a beacon of light in a murky world, it’s simply not possible. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,685-250541,00.html" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A><P>

<B>Putting on the glitz for Slava </B><P>Geoffrey Norris reviews the Rostropovich 75th Birthday Gala at the Barbican <P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>AS GALAS go, this one was probably as glitzy as it gets in the world of serious classical music. Top artists from around the globe had flown in to honour one of the great musicians of our day, Mstislav Rostropovich. Hosted by the London Symphony Orchestra, the evening came as a climax to the celebrations for his 75th birthday, with Rostropovich appearing on the platform at the end to accept, in an emotional and characteristically exuberant speech, the presentation of a cello-shaped birthday cake. All the artists were donating their services, and the proceeds went to the UBS / LSO Education Centre at St Luke's.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2002/03/29/bmrostr29.xml&sSheet=/arts/2002/03/29/ixartleft.html" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A><P><B>Rostropovich birthday gala </B><P><BR>Barbican, London <P>Erica Jeal<BR>The Guardian <P> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Yesterday was Mstislav Rostropovich's 75th birthday. And to mark the occasion, his favourite orchestra, the LSO, threw a party. Not just any party, for Slava, whose name translates as Glory, does deserve something glorious. What we got was a kind of musical This Is Your Life<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.guardian.co.uk/reviews/story/0,3604,675442,00.html" TARGET=_blank><B>more...</B></A><P><BR><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited March 29, 2002).]