Rostropovich conducts 'Romeo & Juliet' at The Barbican with a semi-staging of the 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>

I will be attending Romeo and Juliet and the special gala evening. Some wonderful musicians are joining in the tribute. You see - the Barbican's not all bad! Like the South Bank Centre, the Barbican comes in for a lot of criticism because of its, let's put it politely, plainness. Plain it may be, but some gems of performances in dance and music can be found there and places like the Barbican can cater for one or two performances that do not fit into the repertoire of, for example, Sadler's Wells or the Royal Opera House.