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Unlike its smaller cousin the violin<\/a>, the cello’s lower register has to fight a little harder to make itself heard above the sound of a mighty symphony orchestra.<\/strong> However, the instrument’s gorgeous, soulful sound has still proven irresistible to composers, who have valiantly taken up the challenge with some glorious results. Here are ten of the very best greatest cello concertos in the classical repertoire… <\/p> Perhaps the most famous of all works for the cello, and immortalised in the dramatic, highly charged performances of Jacqueline du Pr\u00e9<\/a><\/strong>, Elgar\u2019s Cello Concerto was composed following the First World War. Contemplative and melancholic, the four-movement work was first recorded by Beatrice Harrison with Elgar<\/a><\/strong> himself conducting. However, it was Du Pr\u00e9\u2019s 1965 recording<\/a><\/strong> with the London Symphony Orchestra under Sir John Barbirolli that gave the work its popularity.<\/p> It has since been recorded and performed in concert by most of the world\u2019s leading cellists. That said, Mstislav Rostropovich<\/a><\/strong> stopped performing the concerto on hearing Du Pr\u00e9\u2019s recording. \u2018My pupil, Jacqueline du Pr\u00e9, played it much better than I,\u2019 he noted. <\/p> We put du Pr\u00e9’s recording with the LSO top of our list of Elgar Cello Concerto best recordings<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p> Jacqueline du Pr\u00e9 \/ London Symphony Orchestra \/ John Barbirolli<\/p>The best cello concertos of all time<\/h2>
Elgar: Cello Concerto<\/strong><\/h3>
Elgar Cello Concerto: Recommended recording<\/h3>