Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85, his last notable work, is a cornerstone of the solo Cello repertoire. In contrast with Elgar's earlier Violin Concerto, which is lyrical andpassionate, the Cello Concerto, written in the aftermath of the First World War, is for the most part contemplative and elegiac. The four-movement concerto, scored for solo Cello, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets inA, 2 Bassoons, 4 Horns in F, 2 Trumpets in C, 3 Trombones, Tuba, Timpani, and Strings, did not achieve wide popularity until the 1960s, however is now regarded to 'rank not only among his finest works, but among the greatest ofitskind' (Michael Kennedy).

Sir Edward William Elgar was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Although Elgar is often regarded as‘typically English’, most of his musical influences were not from England but from continental Europe.