Haydn‘s two cello concertos occupy a central place in the instrument’s Classical-era repertoire. The Concerto No. 1 in C major, Hob. VIIb:1, composed around 1761–65, was long thought lost until its rediscovery in Prague in 1961; its three compact movements feature a bright, extroverted solo part set against a crisp orchestral texture. The Concerto No. 2 in D major, Hob. VIIb:2, written in 1783 for the Esterházy cellist Anton Kraft, is broader in scale, with a singing Adagio and a Hungarian-inflected finale that gives the soloist more lyrical and virtuosic scope.
Here are The Classic Review editorial team’s recommendations for the best recordings of Haydn’s Cello Concertos.
Mstislav Rostropovich, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
Jacqueline du Pré, Daniel Barenboim
Mischa Maisky, Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Jean-Guihen Queyras, Freiburger Barockorchester (on Period Instruments)
Truls Mørk, Norwegian Chamber Orchestra
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