Cello Concerto

Nikolai Myaskovsky composed his Cello Concerto in C minor, Op. 66, during the years 1944–45. It ranks among the few works of the composer that is to be found frequently in concert or on recordings.

The concerto was written for Sviatoslav Knushevitsky, one of Myaskovsky's great champions, who premiered it in Moscow on 17 March 1945. The first recording, however, was made by Mstislav Rostropovich in 1956.

The concerto is in two movements:

The total duration of the concerto amounts to about 25 minutes. The piece is among the late works of the composer, and among its melodies appear Russian folk songs.