Mendelssohn wrote the Variations concertantes for cello and piano when he was twenty years old. It is one of two pieces that Mendelssohn devoted to his brother Paul, who played cello as a hobby, rather than as a profession like his better-known siblings. Consisting of a theme and 8 following variations, the entire set is lyrical and elegant and showcases a clever thematic dialogue between the cello and the piano. The shifting attention between the two instruments is subtle, with the final variation bringing the piece to a close with an understated ending.