Camille Saint-Saens’s (1835-1921) showed a particular fondness for the cello in the 1870s. His Suite op. 16 (1862) being the only other work in which he had previously used it as a solo instrument. In quick succession he wrote the first Cello Concerto in A minor op. 33 and the first Cello Sonata op. 32 (autumn/winter 1872), three years later the Allegro appassionato in B minor op. 43, and in 1877 the Romance in D major op. 51.