The 'Superman' of the cello

Yet any such private, extra-musical actions are beside the point, Mr. Parisot says.

"Personality problems are irrelevant to me," he says. "A player must touch me when he plays.

"I've had arguments with Rostropovich when I was on the jury of his cello competition, but that has never diminished my respect for him."

Nor does Parisot feel that Rostropovich's extraordinary fame has overshadowed the careers of other fine cellists from his generation, such as the Hungarian-born Janos Starker, still playing splendidly at age 77, or the Russian Daniil Shafan.

"Rostropovich should be an inspiration to anyone," Parisot says.

Adds young cellist Gerhardt: "People are always jealous about greatness, but the attention Rostropovich receives is completely deserved, because ... he is one of the greatest musicians of the last 100 years.... But his fame didn't result from a huge publicity effort, as in the case of [Yo-Yo] Ma – who is also an excellent cellist, but, for me, not comparable to Rostropovich, who is much more of an original."

Gerhardt adds that Rostropovich has "raised the level of cello playing, so bad cellists can't get away as easy as they used to before – suddenly one has to play in tune and has to be heard."

"There is no question that Rostropovich shall be remembered as long as there is music in this world," Parisot says, "as one of the greatest cellists who ever lived, forever!"

• Mstislav Rostropovich appears tonight and tomorrow night in Chicago at the Symphony Center to conduct the Britten War Requiem. He will be at Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Lenox, Mass., July 12 and 13, to play the Dvorak Cello Concerto. Other performance dates will be announced at www.angelrecords.com.

Rostropovich – The Russian Years 1950-1974

EMI Classics (CDZM 72016)

Sensational early performances, including many world premières of splendid modern works.

Shostakovich, Haydn: Rostropovich, Leonid Kogan, Emil Gilels

BBC Legends (BBCL 4024)

Chamber-music performances with wonderful colleagues.

Schubert and Debussy sonatas

London/Decca Legends (460-974)

Magical sonata performances by Rostropovich with his friend, composer Benjamin Britten.

Mstislav Rostropovich – Dvorak, Saint-Saens Cello Concertos

Testament (SBT 1101)

Early sensational performances of two of the maestro's war horses.

Great Works for Cello & Orchestra

DG Double (2GX2 437-952)

A handy sampler of some of Rostropovich's finest outings.

Brahms Double Concerto

BBC Legends (BBCL 4050-2)

An unforgettable performance from 1964 with violinist Yehudi Menuhin and conductor Colin Davis.

Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations

BBC Legends (BBCB 8002)

Rostropovich is an ideal performer of Tchaikovsky, as conducted by Britten.

Khachaturian, Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky

BBC Legends (BBCL 4073)

More Russian repertory in definitive performances.

Gubaidulina: The Canticle of the Sun

EMI Classics (57153)

Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina says she wrote this compelling work because Rostropovich's personality is "perpetually lit up by the sun...."

Messiaen: Concert à Quatre

DG Deutsche Grammophon (2GH 445-947)

A fine example of how Rostropovich can take a new work and make it completely his own.

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