Happy 75th birthday to Mstislav Rostropovich, perhaps the world's leading cellist, and also a great man. I saw him play the Dvorak Cello Concerto with the Seattle Symphony tonight, and it was a grand occasion. The Symphony was in great form, and they've been up and down in the concerts I've seen this year so this was a pleasant surprise.
Rostropovich got a gazillion standing ovations. Some were for his performance, but most were for the man. Slava, as he is affectionately known, has done some great humanitarian things in his life. For his final encore, maestro Gerard Schwartz and the symphony surprised him with a rendition of Happy Birthday.