Elegia Zhizni: Rostropovich. Vishnevskaya.
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Alexander Sokurov
Mstislav Rostropovich
Galina Vishnevskaya
Alexander Sokurov
Krzysztof Penderecki
Seiji Ozawa
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Charts the life of an international opera legend, Galina Vishnevskaya, with that of her husband, the virtuoso cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. Originally from Leningrad, the soprano gave her first recital at the age of twenty-six, at the famous Bolshoi theatre in Moscow in 1952. Specialising in the Russian repertoire, she has also sung Aida, La Violetta and Cherubino at La Scala in Milan and in the most famous operas and theatres. In 1955, she married Mstislav Rostropovich, who was to accompany her on piano for a series of performances all over the world. In addition to having performed and directed the major works, and in particular those of Prokofiev, she is known and respected for her battles for an art that knows no frontiers and for freedom of expression. Through discussions between director Alexander Sokurov and the two master musicians, recalling the best and worst moments in the latter's lives, the documentary reveals their surprising personalities and also pays tribute to the art of opera.
