Cello Suite No. 1

The work

ritten in 1964, ’67 and ’71, Britten’s three Suites for Solo Cello, amongst the finest works for the instrument, owe their existence to one of the most charismatic and masterful cellists – Mstislav Rostropovich. In 1960, Rostropovich was performing the UK premiere of Shostakovich’s First Cello Concerto in London’s Royal Festival Hall, watched from a box by the Soviet composer himself. Seated next to Shostakovich was Britten, utterly mesmerised by the giant musical personality on stage. After the concert, Shostakovich told Rostropovich