Mysterious Barricades

Mstislav Rostropovich conducts “Aase’s Death” from Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite no. 1.

Okay, so the sound quality is a little better than a cell phone, but it’s Rostropovich here. If you don’t know who he is, then pray for mercy. It seems to me this interpretation is more aggressive than others that usually play up the sentimental. Perfect for Rostropovich. After all, this is the seen where Peer watches his mother die. Anger is one of the stages of grief, but in the true spirit of the piece and the scene, the performance takes us through all five.