Cello Concerto No. 2 (Haydn)
Encyclopedia
Joseph Haydn
's Concerto No. 2 in D Major, Hob.
VIIb/2, for cello
and orchestra
was composed in 1783 for Antonín Kraft
, a cellist of Prince Nikolaus
's Esterházy Orchestra.
The piece's authenticity was doubted for some time; however most experts now believe that the work is indeed authentic after Haydn's signature was discovered on the manuscript in 1951.
Although the concerto sounds more relaxed and lyrical than its C major predecessor it is more technically difficult for the soloist.
In the first movement of the D Major Concerto, the tone is leisurely and soothing. However, the piece soon enters the development
phase, where another theme, building upon the opening theme, is discovered. Finally, the recapitulation
returns to the main theme.
In the second movement, the key shifts to the dominant, A major. The tempo marking is "Adagio", slower than many of Haydn's slow movements which are marked "Andante". In the middle of the second movement there is an episode in the rather distant key C major.
The final movement is the shortest one of the concerto. It is in Rondo form, featuring an episode in the dominant key of A major and a more somber digression in D minor. The work ends with a rather cheerful affirmation, less overtly virtuostic than its sister C Major Cello Concerto.
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
's Concerto No. 2 in D Major, Hob.
Hoboken-Verzeichnis
The Hoboken-Verzeichnis is the catalogue of over 750 works by Joseph Haydn as compiled by Anthony van Hoboken.Unlike Ludwig von Köchel's catalogue of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's works, or Otto Erich Deutsch's catalogue of Franz Schubert's works, which are both arranged chronologically by date of...
VIIb/2, for cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
and orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
was composed in 1783 for Antonín Kraft
Antonín Kraft
Antonín Kraft was an Czech cellist and composer. He was a close friend of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven....
, a cellist of Prince Nikolaus
Nikolaus Esterházy
Nikolaus Esterházy was a Hungarian prince, a member of the famous Esterházy family. His building of palaces, extravagant clothing, and taste for opera and other grand musical productions led to his being given the title "the Magnificent"...
's Esterházy Orchestra.
The piece's authenticity was doubted for some time; however most experts now believe that the work is indeed authentic after Haydn's signature was discovered on the manuscript in 1951.
Although the concerto sounds more relaxed and lyrical than its C major predecessor it is more technically difficult for the soloist.
Movements
- AllegroTempoIn musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
moderato - AdagioTempoIn musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
- RondoRondoRondo, and its French equivalent rondeau, is a word that has been used in music in a number of ways, most often in reference to a musical form, but also to a character-type that is distinct from the form...
(Allegro)
In the first movement of the D Major Concerto, the tone is leisurely and soothing. However, the piece soon enters the development
Musical development
In European classical music, musical development is a process by which a musical idea is communicated in the course of a composition. It refers to the transformation and restatement of initial material, and is often contrasted with musical variation, which is a slightly different means to the same...
phase, where another theme, building upon the opening theme, is discovered. Finally, the recapitulation
Recapitulation
Recapitulation may refer to:* Recapitulation , a section of musical sonata form where the exposition is repeated in an altered form and the development is concluded...
returns to the main theme.
In the second movement, the key shifts to the dominant, A major. The tempo marking is "Adagio", slower than many of Haydn's slow movements which are marked "Andante". In the middle of the second movement there is an episode in the rather distant key C major.
The final movement is the shortest one of the concerto. It is in Rondo form, featuring an episode in the dominant key of A major and a more somber digression in D minor. The work ends with a rather cheerful affirmation, less overtly virtuostic than its sister C Major Cello Concerto.