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Enescu's Symphonie concertante for cello and orchestra, as its opus number suggests, was the work immediately preceding the superb First Orchestral Suite. It would be difficult to find two adjacent works in Enescu's output which are more dissimilar: the Symphonie concertante is a noble and serious score, unique in its structure and at all times composed with the inherent character of solo instrument in mind. It is in two principal mouvement and has an introductory paragraph in which the thematic material for entire work is stated by cello in a long line of haunting refrain.

The key is B minor, that of Dvorak's great Concerto which was only six years old when this work appeared; the first movement of Symphonie concertante is a large sonata structure that concentrates more on melodic aspects of the opening solo line; it is fascinating to follow the weaving of this line through the beautifully-scored orchestral texture. Almost without a break, the second sonata movement, Majestueux, begins, in which rhythmic aspects now predominate. There is much exciting writing for the cello, texturally woven as in Don Quixote. In utter contrast to the First Orchestral Suite, Enescu's genius is here compressed into music of intense power and concentration, which does not lack lighter moments of repose and emotional relief. This fine Symphonie concertante is structurally as adventurous as its immediate successor.

The bipartite structure of the Symphonie concertante is a characteristic of Enescu's compositions at this time; it finds an echo in First Suite, where the four movement are paired in two groups of two, and can be seen in the Romanian Rhapsodies, Op.11 - at their first performance, Enescu conducted them in reverse order of publication, No.2 followed by No.1.

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