In 1939, Dale Carnegie published a classic self-help book entitled "How to Win Friends and Influence People," suggesting it was possible to change people's behavior by changing one's own behavior toward them. We're not sure if Carnegie's book was ever translated into Russian, but we'd like to cite the case of the famous Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich as an example of one way to influence a particular composer.

In Rostropovich's day, the greatest living Soviet composers were Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich. In 1949 Prokofiev wrote a Cello Sonata for the 22-year old Rostropovich, and also dedicated his 1952 Sinfonia Concertante for cello and orchestra to him. Not surprisingly, Rostropovich hoped Shostakovich might write something for him, too, and so asked that composer's wife, Nina, how to ask him. She replied the best way was NEVER to mention the idea in the presence of her husband. She knew Shostakovich was following Rostropovich's career with interest, and if the idea of writing something for the brilliant cellist came about as his own idea, rather than somebody else's, it stood a better chance of becoming reality.

Rostropovich followed her advice, and — surprise surprise — on today's date in 1959, gave the premiere performance with the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra under Evgeny Mravinsky of a brand-new cello concerto written for him by Dimtri Shostakovich, and five weeks later made his spectacular American début giving the Concerto's U.S. premiere with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra.