Description
Book SynopsisThe Borodin Quartet was to the string quartet what Richter was to the piano, Oistrakh to the violin, Rostropovich to the cello. But the story of this Soviet ensemble - the first to come out of the USSR to give concerts abroad - was inextricably linked to the personality of its founder and cellist for more than six decades, Valentin Berlinsky.
Trade Review'On so many levels, this is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read: a history of the legendary Borodin Quartet, not coincidentally packed with musical wisdom enlightening, or at least food for thought, to any musician. Furthermore, it's a memoir of the extraordinary talent among both teachers and students of the Moscow Conservatory in the 1940s (Shostakovich, David Oistrakh and Rostropovich just some of the most famous); and - perhaps most intriguing of all - a candid portrait of the Borodin's long-standing cellist, Valentin Berlinsky. Conjured from a rich mix of sources - Berlinsky's diary, reviews, interviews published for the first time - what emerges from the book is a profound musician fanatically dedicated to the quartet and the repertoire it excelled in. Anyone disappointed by their Christmas haul should not hesitate but treat themselves.' 5 stars Daniel Jaffe, BBC Music Magazine, February 2019; 'The more I read, the more absorbed and touched I was' Steven Isserlis, September 2018
Table of ContentsForeword, Author's Preface, Publisher's Note, Family and Childhood, Moscow Central Music School, Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Birth of a Quartet, Beginnings - First Appearances at Moscow Conservatory, Ethics and Ideals - Moscow Philharmonic Quartet, Stabilising the Quartet, Borodin Quartet on the Road, Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, Like a Phoenix from the Ashes, On Leadership, On Teaching, On Audiences - on Russia, David Oistrakh, On Criticism - Mstislav Rostropovich, On Sviatoslav Richter - on family, In Praise of Examples, Anatoly Zverev, Tempo, Yevgeny Fyodorovich Svetlanov, Finale, Valentin Berlinsky by Family and Friends - Ludmila Berlinskaya - Dmitri Shebaline - Irina Antonova - Rostislav Burkin - Natalia Shakhovskaya, Appendices, Notes on Contributors, Index of Names
