Cello Concerto, Op.85

Following a disastrous premiere given by the under-rehearsed London Symphony on October 27, 1919 with the composer conducting and Felix Salmond as soloist, Elgar's last great work only very gradually entered the repertoire. Besides Salmomd, the only cellist to champion the work in the composer's lifetime was Beatrice Harrison, who also was the first to record the entire concerto in 1928 with a much-better rehearsed LSO conducted by Elgar. In the following decades the concerto's popularity grew slowly thanks to performances and recordings by Pablo Casals, Paul Tortelier and Mstislav Rostropovich, whose student Jacquline du Pr's performances and recordings served to push the work into the permanent repertoire. The study score offered here is a thoroughly corrected edition first prepared by Nancy M. Bradburd and Clinton F. Nieweg first issued as a large score in 2008. The large conductor's score and orchestra parts are now also for sale from Serenissima Music.