"Composed 40 years apart, these two masterpieces from either side of the turn of the last century offer, in their intrinsic contradictions, a fascinating mirror effect. Thus the profound nostalgia of Sir Edward Elgar’s Concerto stands revealed in its lighter themes, which gain the upper hand in the second movement and a fair bit of the finale.
Similarly, the 'Rococo Variations', far from being just an entertaining stylistic exercise, conveys a deep underlying melancholy in the slow variations, while the divine harmonies of Tchaikovsky, who is the supreme master in that respect, reveal a genuine and discreet tenderness. Maestro Belohlávek is a great source of inspiration to me. I find in him a discretion, an accessibility and a profundity that remind me of Pierre Boulez in an entirely different repertory. What’s more, he was an excellent cellist in his early days and so he has our repertory at his fingertips, literally and figuratively. He was able to give me some valuable advice during the recording sessions!" Jean-Guihen Queyras

“I'm a fervent admirer of French cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras, particularly for the incredibly neat, compact and refined quality of his playing, elements that here bring an aura of sophistication and tremendous intellectual integrity to his new recording of the piece, with Jiri Belohlavek and the BBC Symphony Orchestra in immaculately responsive and sympathetic accompaniment” The Herald (Glasgow)