Of the two major celebratory collections which have appeared simultaneously to celebrate the great Russian musician and humanitarian’s 75th birthday‚ the DG two­disc package is a clear first choice‚ unless you already have his famous and unsurpassed 1969 recording of the Dvo·ák Concerto with Karajan‚ or indeed the hardly less imaginative account of the Schumann Concerto‚ which reaches out to the listener equally compellingly. The slighter‚ touchingly nostalgic Glazunov Chant du ménéstrel is exquisitely sung‚ and Rostropovich equally readily communicates his affection for the pair of warmly lyrical Tchaikovsky melodies which together form the Andante cantabile. But what makes this compilation quite indispensable is the inclusion of the works with piano. Alexander Dedyukhin was Rostropovich’s regular partner in recitals over many years until he died. These pieces‚ recorded in Poland in 1956‚ show a youthful Rostropovich‚ and include a fresh and inspirational reading of Rachmaninov’s Cello Sonata‚ a characteristically intense work with its richly burgeoning lyrical melodies. Rostropovich plays raptly with a rare delicacy of feeling‚ his timbre in the upper range sweetly refined‚his melismatic line slightly more restrained than in later years‚ and always echoed by the poetic Dedyukhin. However‚ in the Chopin Introduction and Polonaise brillante‚ following his partner‚ the pianist lets himself go brilliantly. The encores are played affectionately and the mono recording is faithful and well balanced. EMI offers a much more ambitious coverage than DG‚ stretching to four CDs but‚ while its range is wider‚ not everything shows the great Russian musician at his most perceptive. He is on brilliant form‚ and truly dedicated in Bach’s Third Cello Suite‚ and the recording is vividly present. However‚ the pair of Haydn concertos (in which he also directs the ASMF) brings an altogether more Romantic style which may be very seductive in its loving geniality and commanding virtuosity‚ but which now sounds a little self­aware. However‚ the 1969 Beethoven Triple Concerto is a classic account which remains unsurpassed. The Dvo·ák Concerto is another matter. From the very opening Rostropovich and Giulini are at one in relishing (and often dwelling on) every phrase and detail; but although cello and orchestra are beautifully recorded‚ the result is indulgently idiosyncratic‚ and no possible match for the DG version. As conductor‚ rather than soloist‚ Rostropovich also directs an undiomatically weighty reading of the New World Symphony. The very opening chords of the slow introduction bring an expansively portentous view‚ and in the first movement the exposition repeat is slightly modified in manner the second time round. Even the Largo has a certain lyrical heaviness. The recording is richly ample to match and certainly this account is an overwhelming experience. Of the shorter Russian items‚ the most attractive is the elegant‚ light­hearted Glinka Valse­fantaisie‚ while the Ruslan Overture lacks the kind of exhilarating zest which can make it unforgettable. In the Steppes of Central Asia returns to the heaviness experienced in the New World Symphony‚ and the music’s onward progress loses its simple impetus.Fortunately the Shostakovich Eighth redresses the balance. It is outstanding in every way. This is a fine 1991 Teldec recording‚ licensed to EMI‚ and here Rostropovich creates and sustains an intensity that grips the listener from the first bar to the last. Both sets are well documented‚ the EMI booklet‚ in keeping with the larger set‚ the more elaborate with many more photos.