Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E minor is a cornerstone of the cello repertoire, a product of the composer’s summer seclusion in the English countryside in 1919. A masterpiece of moods, it encompasses the world-weary and poignant but also the quicksilver and passionate. Two other cello works written at around the same time proved pivotal in their composers’ careers. John Ireland’s Cello Sonata in G minor fuses brooding, terse muscularity with lyricism and bravura, while Frank Bridge’s two-movement Cello Sonata in D minor reflects pre-War Romanticism coupled with wartime melancholy and defiance.

Cellist Andreas Brantelid is one of the most sought-after Scandinavian artists, winning worldwide critical acclaim for his performances. His Naxos albums include Russian Tales (8573985) with – as with this current album – pianist Bengt Forsberg: ‘An exquisite recital of Russian Romantic pieces that really glows’ (The Strad). He has also recorded a disc of Haydn’s and C.P.E. Bach’s Cello Concertos on 8574365: ‘interpretations that are consistently erudite and musical’, wrote Fanfare.

His repertoire is famously wide and includes lesser-known and unjustly neglected composers. Among the composers he has recorded and played are Charles Alkan, Kaikhosru Sorabji, Camille Saint-Saëns, Charles Koechlin, Léon Boëllmann, Nikolai Medtner and Erich Wolfgang Korngold.

Andreas Brantelid was born in Copenhagen in 1987 to Swedish/Danish parents. After receiving early tuition from his father, he made his debut as a soloist at the age of 14 with the Royal Danish Orchestra. Today, Brantelid is one of the most sought-after Scandinavian artists, winning worldwide critical acclaim for his thought-provoking interpretations, uniquely colourful sound and engaging personality. Brantelid has previously released albums on labels such as Proprius, EMI and BIS, with acclaimed releases on Naxos including Russian Tales (8573985) and Times of Transition (8574365). Brantelid plays the 1707 ‘Boni-Hegar’ Stradivarius, which has been made available to him by the generous support of Norwegian art collector Christen Sveaas.