David Stewart ([log in to unmask]) wrote:

>Bob Kasenchak wrote:
>
>...I'd love to by Shostakovich a drink.
>
>Yes, I suspect he needs it given the sentiments of symphonies e.g. 5 and
>10.  In fact a whole off-licence (Amer: liquor store) probably couldn't
>make him smile.

Then you evidently don't know the story of his frist runthrough of the
Cello Conecrto No.1 with Rostropovich.

   He gave me the manuscript...on 2 August 1958. On the sixth I played
   it to him from memory, three times. After the first time he was so
   excited, and of course we drank a little bit of vodka. The second
   time I played not so perfect, and afterwards we drank even more vodka.
   The third time I *think* I played the Saint-Saens concerto, but he
   still accompanied *his* concerto. We were enormously happy.

      Mstislav Rostropovich, interview with (gasp!) N. Lebrecht

Deryk Barker
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