Cello Concerto No. 1 in C (Haydn)
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The Cello Concerto No.1 in C Major by Joseph Haydn was composed around 1761–1765 for longtime friend Joseph Weigl, then the principal cellist of Prince Nicolaus's Esterhazy Orchestra. The work was presumed lost until 1961, when a copy of the score was discovered in Prague. Though some doubts have been raised about the authenticity of the work, most experts believe that Haydn did compose this concerto.
All three movements of this work are written in Sonata Form, unlike the Second Concerto, where Rondo Form is used in second and third movements. This Concerto is more related to Haydn's Violin Concerti than its follower, holding very close resemblance to the A major Violin Concerto (No.3, so-called Melker): The first movement's etched rhythms, and flowing second themes, a peaceful slow movement, and a brisk finale. Both concerti were composed in the same period of time.
Haydn's C Major Cello Concerto has become a staple of the cello repertoire, after its premiere by Milos Sadlo, in 1962. Many famous artists, such as Jacqueline du Pré, Yo-Yo Ma, and Mstislav Rostropovich, have recorded this Concerto.
