Erato Story - Cello Con Op104 Rococo Variations

Following the rebirth of the Erato label in 2013, The Erato Story provides a retrospective of the label's landmark recordings from the years between 1952, the year Erato was founded, and 2003, when it ceased operation for ten years. In its first three decades, Erato had a particular focus on French music and French artists. Although Erato diversified over the 50 years covered by this collection, it maintained a distinctive focus on French music and on Baroque repertoire; these emphases are reflected in this collection. Msitslav Rostropovich was born in Soviet Russia in 1927. He is among the most respected cellists of the 20th century. He began his musical education at age four by studying piano, and began studying cello at age ten under the direction of his father, who studied under the famous Pablo Casals. By age 23, Rostropovich had garnered numerous awards and accolades for his musicianship, including first prize at the International Music Awards of Prague and Budapest, and the Stalin Prize (then considered the highest distinction in the Soviet Union). Rostropovich was exiled from the Soviet Union in 1978 due to his public opposition to the regime's restrictions of cultural freedoms. He did not return to the Soviet Union until 1990, and he passed away in 2007.