Britten Thematic Catalogue

Beta Version

BTC1114 SYMPHONY FOR CELLO AND ORCHESTRA

For cello and orchestra, op. 68
Subtitle: For cello and orchestra
Other titles: Sinfonia concertante

Original description of the work by in correspondence between Britten and Rostropovich.

Period of composition: Autumn 1962 - 3 May 1963
Revised: Mar-Apr 1964

The revisions were concerned solely with the orchestration of the work.

First performance: 12 Mar 1964 >>
Type of performance: Concert performance
Location: Great Hall, Moscow Conservatory
Performance details:

Mstislav Rostropovich vc, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Benjamin Britten cond.

Genre: Orchestral
Performing forces:

Orchestra: 2 fl (II=picc), 2 ob, 2 cl in B flat (II=bass cl), bn, dbn - 2 hn, 2 tpt in C, ten trbn, tuba - timp, 2 perc (bd, gong, cymb, td, sd, tamb, t-t, whip, vitr) - str

Duration: 34'
Commissioned:

By the dedicatee in early 1962.

Dedication: 'For Mstislav Rostropovich'

Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich (1927-2007), Russian cellist, conductor, and humanitarian. Married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya.

Notes

The cello part was edited for publication by Rostropovich.

All content copyright (C) Britten-Pears Foundation 2012 unless stated. Please note all BTC numbers are provisional at this stage.