Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No.2 (1982)

The concerto is full of pronounced drama and genuine pathos (in the most positive sense of the term). The various sections are played attacca, and individually they are constructed according to a type of variation principle. The soloist on this recording, Torlef Thedéen, finds that the most fascinating aspect of the concerto is its 'combination of attention to detail with eruptive grandeur', a phrase which tellingly describes one of the 'new' Penderecki's principal characteristics. Recommended by BBC Music Magazine, Fono Forum and Klassik heute.