People are craving this great progress in electronics, going after computers, the Internet, etc. Its a giant progress technologically. But they must have a balance of soul, a balance for human beauty. That means art has an important role. – Mstislav Rostropovich
When I started learning the cello, I fell in love with the instrument because it seemed like a voice – my voice. – Mstislav Rostropovich
Baalbek is so beautiful. It is the heart of beauty in the Middle East – I want to embrace these people with my music. I will try so hard for them. Their president is a Christian, their prime minister is a Muslim. Music is for everyone. – Mstislav Rostropovich
I love Rauschenberg. I love that he created a turning point in visual history, that he redefined the idea of beauty, that he combined painting, sculpture, photography, and everyday life with such gall, and that he was interested in, as he put it, the ability to conceive failure as progress. – Jerry Saltz