Like its predecessor, Benjamin Britten's Cello Suite No. 2 (1967) was inspired both by Johann Sebastian Bach's suites for solo cello and the artistry of cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. Like the first suite, the second blends Baroque forms with Britten's modern sensibility. Thus, the first two movements, a Declamato and a fugue, are similar in basic structure to a Bach prelude and fugue. The "Declamato" has an improvised, rhapsodic feel, sounding like an impassioned speech; quiet, pleading passages yield unexpectedly to angry, bold gestures from the cello. A very slow fugue follows. Britten makes extensive use of the style brisé here, which allows the composer to suggest, with melodic lines shifting between pitch levels, counterpoint that cannot actually be played on the cello. Since the fugue is so slow, however, the melodic lines are somewhat difficult to follow, giving the movement a mysterious air. A short Scherzo follows, featuring breakneck melodic motion occasionally interrupted by a four-note upward motive that seems to break off mid-flight; the whole movement seems to abhor coming to rest. Britten makes use of an unusual technique in the following Andante lento, having the cellist play a sustained melody on one string while plucking out the accompaniment on another. The winding, sad melody goes through a few variations, including one played entirely pizzicato, before ending up about where it started. The final Ciaccona, a favorite form of both Bach and Britten, carries the most weight of the movements; it is by far the longest and the fastest. The Ciaccona sounds more like a Baroque movement than any other, as it adheres relatively closely to proper chaconne form. The music moves quickly between emotional extremes, at one moment robust and joyous, at another tender and slower, but retains an almost irrepressible forward momentum until the final resolute note. Much like Britten's first cello suite, this suite is a highly creative and vital artistic response both to Bach's writing and Rostropovich's playing.

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