Schumann’s love of the cello, which developed when he learned the instrument as a young man, is expressed most fully in his Cello Concerto in A minor. It is a work marked by freshness of spirit and singing lyricism and stands as a rich example of mid-19th-century Romanticism. His small character pieces reveal Schumann’s joy in the cello’s unique lyrical capabilities. Gabriel Schwabe has established himself among the leading cellists of his generation. He is a laureate of numerous national and international competitions and plays a rare Italian instrument made in Brescia (c. 1600).