Mstislav Rostropovich and Serge Prokofiev, Nikolina Gora, 1952.
On 7 September 2000, Goldsmiths College bestowed Mstislav Rostropovich an Honorary Doctorate of the University of London. The ceremony was due to take place on the occasion of the College's Graduation ceremony. Early in the morning I went to fetch Slava ('Call me Slava' he declared) at Gatwick Airport, my mission being to deliver him safely to Goldsmiths in time for the ceremony. Slava appeared just after 9.00 am, pulling his cello case and looking so sprightly that it was hard to believe he had been performing the night before in Verona and had been on the go since 5.00 am. A car journey of nearly two hours gave me the opportunity to interview him (for Three Oranges) before we arrived in Goldsmiths. The Great Hall was packed to capacity with officials, students, friends and parents, all wondering about the reasons behind the late start. Having finally started off with a grand procession to the sound of the Music Department's brass band, the graduation ceremony went on interminably; but Slava, sitting at the very centre of the stage, kept smiling at students and chatting with his neighbours. Russian cello music was played to him, speeches were delivered and, having received his gown, Slava responded and entertained the audience for some ten minutes. The ceremony was followed by a lunch reception in a marquee set up in the College's backfield. This was the opportunity students and staff had been waiting for. Slava was assaulted! He posed with countless new graduands in their smart gowns and answered endless questions. Finally, the moment arrived when I was able to steal him away from the crowd and take him to the Archive dedicated to the composer to whom, in his own words, 'he owes so much'. Once there, he searched for his own writings in old, out-of-print Russian publications and asked me to photocopy a few pages because, he said, he didn't have any of his own articles at home! I took all his recordings off the shelves and made him sign every single CD booklet on sight! After he had left, with effusive kisses and bursts of laughter, I wondered about the magic source from which this extraordinary 73 year-old man drew his youthful energy. But of course we know...from the music itself.
