Death of a legendary Russian conductor

The death was announced today in Moscow of the unforgettable Gennady Rozhdestvensky. He was 87.

Making his Bolshoi debut in 1951, he conducted all over the world, serving as chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic.

Back home, he conducted Schnittke symphonies in the provinces when his music was banned in major cities and did much to advance two generations of non-conformist composers.

But he never spoke out against the Soviet regime, accepted its highest honours and lived comfortably within the system.

Orchestras loved him for not using all of his rehearsal time, saving the best for his concerts.

He was married to the pianist Viktoria Postnikova.

UPDATE: Rare video: Rozhdestvensky with Shostakovich.