# Top 10 Cello Concerti/Pieces for cello and orchestra?



## World Violist

You may balk at the title, but since Dvorak's pioneering work (and before that, to be sure, but especially after the Dvorak) there have been several masterpieces for cello and orchestra. Here are my favorites (in some vague semblence of order, for once):

1) Dvorak
2) Delius
3) Shostakovich
4) Elgar
5) Saint-Saens
6) Haydn in C
7) Kalevi Aho
8) Bloch: Schelomo
9) Schumann
10) Monn


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## Tapkaara

I am not as familiar with cello concerti as I should be. Khachaturian's is pretty awesome, though!


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## LvB

1) Dvorak: Violoncello Concerto in b, Op. 104 
I think the Dvorak must be at the top of any list; however one feels about Dvorak personally, the piece is so superbly written that it stands out in any violoncello crowd, so to speak.  As Brahms commented, if hed known a 'cello concerto like that could be written, he'd have written one long ago.

After that the order becomes less clear (nor do I claim a great acquaintance with the repertoire....), but here are some of what I take to be serious candidates:

2) Elgar: e, Op. 85
3) Bloch: _Schelomo_
4) Kabalevsky: #2, G, Op. 77 (a rhapsodic piece with a wild part for saxophone; dark, brooding, and virtuosic, and deserving of a much wider audience)
5) Shostakovich: #1, Eb, Op. 107 (I don't know #2 well enough to say anything here)
6) Rubinstein: #2, d, Op. 96 (why this isn't way better known I have no idea; it's tuneful, charming, and eminently playable)
7) Haydn: D, Hob. VIIb:2
8) D'Albert: C, Op. 20 (Lyrical, mellow, and haunting; another one whose neglect I cannot understand)


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## Sorin Eushayson

This thread caught my eye, seeing as I just got done listening to two masterful cello concerti by one Antonio Vivaldi: a solo cello concerto (RV 413) that will knock your socks off and leave you longing for a brazen swashbuckling adventure, followed by a double cello concerto (RV 531) so rich your ears will beg you for more thereafter. 

While I'm on the topic, Boccherini has some cello concerti that are of very high quality, the man having been a master cellist (legend tells that he could play violin pieces on his cello - in the right pitch!). I also really enjoy Haydn's work in the genre; he left us two enjoyable cello concertos. Then there's a disc I have of some of CPE Bach's cello concerti, which are fun if not terribly gutsy works. I'm probably cheating if I note Beethoven's Tripelkonzert, aren't I? I'll be quiet now.


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## Taneyev

Top cello works had been named, but I can add:
Lalo (one of my favorites)
Walton
Vieuxtemps
Popper (Choose any of 4)
Gulda (!!)
Pfitzner
d'Albert
Volkmann
Glazuvov
Tischenko
Bax
Victor Herbert


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## World Violist

Wow, I had no idea Gulda wrote a cello concerto. Any recordings?

And by the way, I meant Shostakovich #1 when I just put "Shostakovich" up there.


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## Taneyev

World Violist said:


> Wow, I had no idea Gulda wrote a cello concerto. Any recordings?


Martin Ostertag cello with Klaus Arp cond. It's a German Amati CD, probably OOP. Being Gulda it's an absolutely crazy work, mix of Jazz, Baroque, romantic et all. But the cello part is extremely difficult, and I don't think anybody but that guy will play it.


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## bdelykleon

I miss Lutoslawski.


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## Sid James

I agree that Bloch's _Schelomo_ is great, but what about the equally good but less popular _Voice in the Wilderness_?


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## bdelykleon

And Ligeti.


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## tahnak

*Top 10 Cello Works*

1. Dvorak - Cello Concerto
2. Tchaikovsky - Variations on a Rococo Theme
3. Arensky - Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky
4. Beethoven - Triple Concerto
5. Brahms - Double Concerto
6. Bach - Cello Suite No. 1 in G major
7. Schumann - Cello Concerto
8. Elgar - Cello Concerto
9. Bruch - Kol Nidrei
10. Bloch - Schelomo - Hebrew Rhapsody


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## wolf

World Violist said:


> ...And by the way, I meant Shostakovich #1 when I just put "Shostakovich" up there.


Actually we took that for granted, and also that you meant Dvoraks real, SaintSaens 1st lol.

I am running out of enthusiasm for lists, but, anyway, and as triple and double can be among them, mine is like this:

1. Saint-Saens 1st
2 Dvoraks 
3. Beethovens tripl
4. Schumanns (I love it more than it deserves)
5. Brahms doubl
6. Elgar (!!!)
7. Haydn C
8. Vivaldi Rv 416
9. Shostak 1st
10. Bocch no 9 /Grutzmacher (this is in my brain forever, sorry Luigi)


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## livemylife

Based on listening:
1) Dvorak
2) Elgar
3) Schumann
4) Lalo
5) Bloch Schelomo
6) Shosty 1
7) Goltermann 3
and the rest.

Based on playing, I would include Popper show pieces, saint-saens and haydn concerti to the list. 
I was so unengaged in the tchaik pieces (pezzo capriccioso, rococo variations) and boccerini that my teacher made me choose other pieces. hahaha.


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## World Violist

livemylife said:


> I was so unengaged in the tchaik pieces (pezzo capriccioso, rococo variations) and boccerini that my teacher made me choose other pieces. hahaha.


I could never understand the Tchaikovsky variations either. It is just not musical enough. Too much show, I daresay.


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## Lisztfreak

I'll first put up the Three Pillars:

Elgar
Dvořák
Haydn No.1

...and then fill the construction with:

Schumann
both Shostakovichs
Haydn No.2
Britten's Cello Symphony


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## MarkJackson

(In no particular order)

(Edward Elgar) Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85
(Georg Matthias Monn) Cello Concerto in G Minor
(Nikolai Myaskovsky) Cello Concerto in C Minor, Op. 66
(Dmitri Shostakovich) Cello Concerto in Eb Major, Op. 107
(Antonin Dvorák) Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104
(Aram Khachaturian) Cello Concerto in E Minor
(Camille Saint-Saëns) Cello Concerto in A Minor, Op. 33
(Joseph Haydn) Cello Concerto in C Major, Hob. Vllb/1
(Johannes Brahms) Double Concerto for Violin and Cello Orchestra in A Minor, Op. 102
(Richard Strauss) Don Quixote, Op. 35


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## Klavierspieler

I'm pretty unfamiliar here, so only a top three for me.

1. Schumann
2. Elgar
3. Dvorak


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## Klavierspieler

MacDowell's _Romance_ for cello and orchestra is also very good.


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## Arsakes

The ones I put 'like' on them, between these comments


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## joen_cph

Some favourites are

- Shostakovich 1/Ma 
- Dvorak op.104
- Barber/Wallfisch
- Kabalevsky No.2/Wallfisch
- Denisov/Georgian
- Schumann/Rostropovich,Kodrashin
- Elgar
- Myaskovsky
- Glonti Petrarca Meditations
- + concerti of the lighter sort: Vivaldi/Schiff, Boccherini, Leonardo Leo


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## maestro267

I'm just going to mention one that hasn't been mentioned yet.

Henri Dutilleux's _Tout un monde lointain_

My cello/orchestra collection is nowhere near as big as it probably should be.


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## Prodromides

1. Aarre Merikanto's KONZERTSTUCK
2. "in dark and blue" Cello Concerto by Maurice Ohana
3. FANTASIA FOR CELLO AND ORCHESTRA by Villa-Lobos
4. Rautavaara's CELLO CONCERTO
5. Dutilleux's TOUT UN MONDE LOINTAIN
6. CONCERTO FOR CELLO NO. 2 by Jolivet
7. Aulis Sallinen's CONCERTO FOR CELLO
8. Tansman's CELLO CONCERTO
9. "Five" for amplified Cello and Orchestra by Wuorinen
10. Arne Nordheim's TENEBRAE for Cello and Orchestra
[plus a #11 to show the love for Ernest Bloch's VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS, a symphonic poem for Cello and Orchestra]

A special mention for Tadeusz Baird's SCENES for Cello, Harp & Orchestra.


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## science

I'm not yet ready to compile a top-10 of my favorites, but one that I want to mention is the Grützmacher arrangement of Boccherini's 9th cello concerto, recorded memorably by Du Pré. I'm always interested in that sort of thing - one composer editing another's work. 

The top two are probably set: 

1. Elgar
2. Dvorak

Besides those, the only ones that I own are Haydn 1, Haydn 2, Miaksovsky, Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations, Britten's symphony, Lalo, Schumann, Shostakovich 1, Walton, Saint-Saëns #1, Hovhannes, Milhaud, Honegger, Ligeti, Boccherini 2 & 7 & 10, Schnittke, Penderecki 1 & 2, CPE Bach 1 & 2 & 3, Monn, Pleyel, D'Albert, Dutilleux, Lutoslawski, Elgar's Sinfonia Concertante, Dohnanyi's Concert Pieces, and half a dozen by Vivaldi. (Edit: Also, Prokofiev's Sinfonia Concertante.)

And even so I haven't listened to a few of those in more than six months. I'll try to give them all a good listen and report back on my own personal top 10.


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## Ukko

For many years Dvorak's affected me very strongly, particularly Leonard Rose's performance. It's power has much diminished, perhaps because of mental calcification. Another old favorite, Saint Saens', is still a pleasure to hear; but it was always more of a lark than an adventure.

Prokofieff's Symphonie Concertante is easy to concentrate on, intricate and clever, and satisfying both emotionally and intellectually. The concerti by Lutoslawski and Dutilleux I have on one CD, so usually listen to them in one setting; it is time well spent.

Boccherini has to be mentioned when cello music is, but I much prefer the chamber music to the concerti.


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## jlpcellist

In my opinion:

1. Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major, Op. 107
2. Elgar Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85
3. Dutilleux "Tout un monde lointain..."
4. Schumann Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129
5. Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 2, Op. 126
6. Prokofiev Sinfonia-Concertante, Op. 125
7. Tchaikovsky Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33
8. Dvorak Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104
9. Penderecki Cello Concerto No. 2
10. Rubinstein Cello Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 96


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## Art Rock

My all-time favourite cello concerto has not been mentioned yet (I think): the one by EJ Moeran.


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## brianvds

Sorin Eushayson said:


> I'm probably cheating if I note Beethoven's Tripelkonzert, aren't I? I'll be quiet now.


Not to mention Brahms' double concerto, but I notice others have also now descended into this form of cheating.

Bruch wrote some very nice pieces for cello and orchestra, though they are mostly shortish works.


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## Winterreisender

brianvds said:


> Bruch wrote some very nice pieces for cello and orchestra, though they are mostly shortish works.


Yes, I agree! I enjoy a work by Bruch called "Kol Nidrei" which is a set of variations for cello and orchestra based on a theme of Hebrew origin.


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## Guest

Lutosławski's cello concerto.

Even Prodromides' spectacular list didn't mention it.

Prokofiev's other cello concerto is pretty sweet, too.

And I don't understand the popularity of Shostakovich's 1st over his 2nd. Or rather, I do, but I don't agree.

Wait. I just noticed that science had a list, just not set out as a list.

And there's the Lutosławski, right there. And a lot of other very cool cello concertos.

There's a nice album that came out a couple of year's ago, with Mantovani's cello concerto. (Bruno not Annunzio, though I read somewhere that Bruno is related to Annunzio. Can't find that reference any more, though.) It also has a couple of others. One by Gilbert Amy and one by Philippe Schoeller. The Amy is worth the price of admission, so you get two for free, eh?)

And I want to mention one of my favorite albums, with a smashing piece by Jonathan Berger, _The Lead Plates of the ROM Press,_ with Jeffrey Krieger, electric cello. (The album is named after another piece on the disc, _Night Chains,_ which is also nice.)


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## spradlig

the Shostakovich #2 is excellent, and neglected. It is not clear to me that his #1 is better.



LvB said:


> 1) Dvorak: Violoncello Concerto in b, Op. 104
> I think the Dvorak must be at the top of any list; however one feels about Dvorak personally, the piece is so superbly written that it stands out in any violoncello crowd, so to speak.  As Brahms commented, if hed known a 'cello concerto like that could be written, he'd have written one long ago.
> 
> After that the order becomes less clear (nor do I claim a great acquaintance with the repertoire....), but here are some of what I take to be serious candidates:
> 
> 2) Elgar: e, Op. 85
> 3) Bloch: _Schelomo_
> 4) Kabalevsky: #2, G, Op. 77 (a rhapsodic piece with a wild part for saxophone; dark, brooding, and virtuosic, and deserving of a much wider audience)
> 5) Shostakovich: #1, Eb, Op. 107 (I don't know #2 well enough to say anything here)
> 6) Rubinstein: #2, d, Op. 96 (why this isn't way better known I have no idea; it's tuneful, charming, and eminently playable)
> 7) Haydn: D, Hob. VIIb:2
> 8) D'Albert: C, Op. 20 (Lyrical, mellow, and haunting; another one whose neglect I cannot understand)


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## spradlig

I have read that Prokofiev wrote a cello concerto, wasn't happy with it, and Rostropovich helped him rework it into his _Symphony-Concerto_, which is the fairly popular work that we listen to today (I don't think his original cello concerto is often performed). Is this what you mean?

I agree that the Shostakovich #2 is likely at least as good as his #1. It doesn't start off as catchy as the #1, but I don't understand why it is neglected.



some guy said:


> Lutosławski's cello concerto.
> 
> Even Prodromides' spectacular list didn't mention it.
> 
> Prokofiev's other cello concerto is pretty sweet, too.
> 
> And I don't understand the popularity of Shostakovich's 1st over his 2nd. Or rather, I do, but I don't agree.
> 
> Wait. I just noticed that science had a list, just not set out as a list.
> 
> And there's the Lutosławski, right there. And a lot of other very cool cello concertos.
> 
> There's a nice album that came out a couple of year's ago, with Mantovani's cello concerto. (Bruno not Annunzio, though I read somewhere that Bruno is related to Annunzio. Can't find that reference any more, though.) It also has a couple of others. One by Gilbert Amy and one by Philippe Schoeller. The Amy is worth the price of admission, so you get two for free, eh?)
> 
> And I want to mention one of my favorite albums, with a smashing piece by Jonathan Berger, _The Lead Plates of the ROM Press,_ with Jeffrey Krieger, electric cello. (The album is named after another piece on the disc, _Night Chains,_ which is also nice.)


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## spradlig

You may know this, but Saint-Saens wrote two cello concerti. I like the 2d quite a bit. I'm not going to argue that it's as good as the first, but it doesn't deserve to be neglected.



Ukko said:


> For many years Dvorak's affected me very strongly, particularly Leonard Rose's performance. It's power has much diminished, perhaps because of mental calcification. Another old favorite, Saint Saens', is still a pleasure to hear; but it was always more of a lark than an adventure.
> 
> Prokofieff's Symphonie Concertante is easy to concentrate on, intricate and clever, and satisfying both emotionally and intellectually. The concerti by Lutoslawski and Dutilleux I have on one CD, so usually listen to them in one setting; it is time well spent.
> 
> Boccherini has to be mentioned when cello music is, but I much prefer the chamber music to the concerti.


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## spradlig

I'm assuming you're referring to Shostakovich's and Saint-Saens's first cello concerti (each wrote two). Neither deserves to be neglected. In my opinion, the Shostakovich #2 is excellent, and the Saint-Saens #2 is quite good.



World Violist said:


> You may balk at the title, but since Dvorak's pioneering work (and before that, to be sure, but especially after the Dvorak) there have been several masterpieces for cello and orchestra. Here are my favorites (in some vague semblence of order, for once):
> 
> 1) Dvorak
> 2) Delius
> 3) Shostakovich
> 4) Elgar
> 5) Saint-Saens
> 6) Haydn in C
> 7) Kalevi Aho
> 8) Bloch: Schelomo
> 9) Schumann
> 10) Monn


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## spradlig

Sorry, I posted my "correction" to your earlier post before I was this one.



World Violist said:


> Wow, I had no idea Gulda wrote a cello concerto. Any recordings?
> 
> And by the way, I meant Shostakovich #1 when I just put "Shostakovich" up there.


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## Guest

spradlig said:


> I have read that Prokofiev wrote a cello concerto, wasn't happy with it, and Rostrotpovich helped him rework it into his _Symphony-Concerto_, which is the fairly popular work that we listen to today (I don't think his original cello concerto is often performed. Is this what you mean?
> 
> I agree that the Shostakovich #2 is likely at least as good as his #1. It doesn't start off as catchy as the #1, but I don't understand why it is neglected.


His original one is the one I meant, yes. They're enough different from each other to count as two separate concertos, I think. Even more than the two symphony number 4's.

Shostakovich's 15th symphony gets a lot of love. I would think that anyone who likes that one would like the second cello concerto a lot.


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## Ukko

spradlig said:


> You may know this, but Saint-Saens wrote two cello concerti. I like the 2d quite a bit. I'm not going to argue that it's as good as the first, but it doesn't deserve to be neglected.


I have only heard the St. Saens 2nd in the same listening session as the 1st. It is worthy of my personal neglect. In fact, I much prefer to hear the guy's music in short doses; the facility for its own sake gets to me after awhile.


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## brianvds

Winterreisender said:


> Yes, I agree! I enjoy a work by Bruch called "Kol Nidrei" which is a set of variations for cello and orchestra based on a theme of Hebrew origin.


Also try out his Adagio on Celtic themes:


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