Although Kurt Atterberg had planned to write a cello concerto from the very beginning of his career as a composer, it was not until he was already an experienced composer that it came to fruition. That he wanted to write a solo concerto for this instrument of all instruments can be explained by the fact that Atterberg was internationally active not only as a conductor, but also as a cellist, while pursuing his bread and butter job at the Patent Office in Stockholm.

Atterberg’s only concerto for cello and orchestra was written in 1922, at a time when he was one of the most widely performed Swedish composers abroad. The part for solo instrument is convincing perhaps precisely because the composer himself was a cellist. Strong, lyrical lines and rich timbres make the Cello Concerto a special work of this genre. A find for all concert programs!

The composer himself participated as soloist in the Swedish premiere of the Cello Concerto in 1924. It is true that the traditional movements of a concerto can be found, including an opening movement in sonata form. Due to Atterberg’s less analytical but rather more emotional compositional style, however, the old formal models cannot always be applied exactly.