Though often categorized as a piece for advanced students, Concerto No. 1 demands professional artistic maturity.

The opening movement is structured like a march. It begins with a steady, rhythmic pulse from the strings' pizzicato, over which the cello enters with a striking and energetic theme [12†L19-L23]. The movement has a remarkable ebb and flow, contrasting its vigorous march-like theme with a breezier, more lyrical second theme introduced by the woodwinds. The cello part is full of double-stops, octave passages, and a brief cadenza that builds to an exciting peak, before the movement concludes surprisingly quietly [12†L25-L28].