Composed in 1982, Jonathan Harvey's Curve with Plateaux takes as its inspiration the idea of the human quality of the cello's voice. A ceaselessly inventive work lasting around 12-minutes, it is one of Harvey's finest works for the instrument that he himself played professionally for a number of years.
‚A piece that opens tortuously at the bottom of the instrument and becomes ever more impassioned as it progresses upwards. With its Indian inflections, hints at the sound of the sitar and chant-like intensity, this is one of the most expressive modern works for the instrument.'
The Times (John Allison) 9 May 1999