It seems odd that Camille Saint-Saëns' first cello concerto has become so much more popular than his second when the two share an unusual amount even for concerti written by the same composer. Both were composed at around the same time as a separate cello sonata (Op. 123, in this case). Both recall their first movements later in the work, leading to a structure Francois-Rene Tranchfort described, in commenting on the first concerto, as "enhanced sonata form." Both contain movements (a minuet in the first, a scherzo-like section in the second) that imply symphonic dimensions. And, unsurprisingly for Saint-Saëns, both make strenuous demands on the cellist's virtuosity. A striding theme in polonaise rhythm opens the concerto, with just a brief orchestral introduction before the cello dashes off with the melodic responsibilities. A tender theme, introduced and supported by the winds, makes an appearance before a heroic theme begins in the major and moves to the minor and then seems to close off the exposition. It's more complicated than that, however, as Saint-Saëns soon moves into a lush Andante sostenuto, with the cello again introducing the main theme, although there is one lovely moment when it circles the orchestra's rendition of the theme with seductive ornaments. Eventually, the cello needs only the barest orchestral interpolations to help it virtuosically close the movement. The second movement begins with a fiendishly difficult scherzo based on a restless theme and full of double stops and coruscating runs that remind the listener that Saint-Saëns actually had to notate the cello part for this concerto on two staves. The cadenza raises the bar even higher, literally, ending in a stratospheric register for the cello before the music suddenly returns to the heroic mood and rhythm from the first movement; new material is used to end the work on a triumphant note. This last section can be interpreted as a gesture at a sonata-form recapitulation after a very long development, or simply as a cyclic ending to a work whose themes often recall each other. Either way, it makes for intriguing listening.

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