Cello Symphony (Britten)
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The Symphony for Cello and Orchestra or Cello Symphony Op. 68 was written in 1963 by the British composer Benjamin Britten. He dedicated the work to Mstislav Rostropovich, who gave the work its premiere in Moscow with the composer and the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra on March 12, 1964. The work's title reflects the music's more even balance between soloist and orchestra than in the traditional concerto format.
The piece is in the four-movement structure typical of a symphony, but the final two movements are linked by a cello cadenza:
- Allegro maestoso
- Presto inquieto
- Adagio - cadenza ad lib
- Passacaglia: Andante allegro
See also
Prokofiev wrote a Symphony-Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, while Zwilich wrote a Cello Symphony where the cello section is most prominent.
External links
- Performance of the Britten Cello Symphony