When the Berlin Wall came down glausnos was declared. Mistlav Rostropovich went to the wall and played his cello because he was glad that it was over. He was exiled to America from Russia. I met him when he was still the director of the National Symphony in Washington DC.He recently passed away from stomach problems. He came to tempe and did a master class and also a party after a concert he did with the symphony. It was great to meet him. Cellists tend to be the political action committee of the world. If the world is in trouble it will be the cellists who bail them out. We tend to be the blue color of the world, wanting to unite each other in love and harmony. Cellists feel a brotherhood no other instrument feels. We are unique in many ways.
Casals refused to play concerts when his Catalonia was at war. Piatagorsky left Russia to pursue his dreams of Freedom in California. YoYoMa has internationalized the cello by playing music from all genres across the board. Recently, a cellist in Sarajavo played 21 days on the bombed spot where his neighbors stood in a bread line and were killed. What a great group of people to belong to. I am glad to be one of this elite group.
