by Ben Hogwood. Photo of Mstislav Rostropvich in 1959 by RIA Novosti archive, courtesy of Wikipedia

On this day in 1959 the premiere took place in Leningrad of Shostakovich‘s Cello Concerto no.1. The soloist was Mstislav Rostropovich, to whom the concerto was dedicated. Here he is as soloist, an indomitable force:

Published post no.3,038 – Sunday 4 October 2026