Rostropovich's colleagues remember the great man.
Daniel Barenboim, the musical director of Berlin's prestigious Opera, said Rostropovich "was not only an excellent cellist, but also one of the most important musicians of the 20th century. "His talent was immense and we can describe him as a true titan," he said of the musician, who in 1989 played an unforgettable Bach rendition in front of the newly-crumbled Berlin Wall.Seiji Ozawa, the conductor of the Japanese Philharmonic Orchestra, said Rostropovich was a "great man" who taught him much about music and life. "Slava was a soldier of music," said Ozawa, who is currently in Vienna, through his press attache. "He told me that he was not afraid to die because he absolutely believed in a new life after death. Surely he will wait for me and I am looking forward to seeing him there again."
Italian conductor Riccardo Muti, a close friend of the cellist, remember him as "one of the most extraordinary figures of our time". He vowed to dedicate an interpretation of Gluck's 'Orpheus and Eurydice' to him.
As a sidenote: because of their personal friendship, Rostropovich classily declined to step in Muti's place after Muti's break-up with la Scala: he chose not to conduct there to avoid hurting his friend's feelings.