Camille Saint-Saëns composed his
Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33 in 1872, when the
composer was 37 years old. He wrote this work for the Belgian
cellist,
viola de gamba player and instrument maker
Auguste Tolbecque. Tolbecque was part of a distinguished family of musicians closely associated with the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, France’s leading concert society. The concerto was first performed on January 19, 1873 at the Paris conservatoire concert with Tolbecque as soloist. This was considered a mark of Saint-Saëns' growing acceptance by the French musical establishment.