Elgar's Cello Concerto has been juxtaposed with a number of works on disc, but not before with Barber's concerto, which was composed 26 years later, in 1945. The combination works well, for the stylistic gulf between them is not as wide as that quarter century might suggest, even though Barber's romanticism is spiked with French neoclassicism.

Anne Gastinel's punchy, yet emotionally controlled cello playing is perfectly suited to the Barber and also provides a welcome antidote to the usual heart-on-sleeve treatment of the Elgar; the contributions from the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Justin Brown make their mark too.