Cello concertos by two of the great Polish composers of the 20th century. Lutosławski's concerto was composed following a commission from the Royal Philharmonic Society in 1968, with Rostropovich's involvement in details such as the notation of quarter-tones, and premiered in London in 1970. Cast in a single movement with clear internal divisions — introduction, four episodes, a cantilena and a finale — it is characterised by vivid, at times brutal dialogues between soloist and orchestra from which the soloist ultimately emerges victorious. Penderecki's Second Cello Concerto (1982) is full of pronounced drama and genuine pathos; its sections are played attacca and constructed on variation principles, with late-romantic solidity underpinning the scoring. Torleif Thedéen, one of Scandinavia's most celebrated cellists and winner of three major international competitions in 1985, is joined by the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra under Leif Segerstam.