The German cellist has a gift for shedding fresh light on familiar scores, demonstrated in this evening’s programme. Schumann’s Op. 70, written for horn but with violin and cello versions, was first performed by his wife Clara and horn player Julius Schlitterlau. Shostakovich wrote his early work during a time of turmoil, while the composer was briefly separated from his wife Nina, and Beethoven dedicated his fourth and fifth cello sonatas to his friend and confidante, the Countess Marie von Erdödy.