Joseph Haydn · Advanced · cello
How to play Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major, Hob. VIIb:1
Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major, Hob. VIIb:1 is in C major and sits at the advanced level. Standard classical-concerto audition and recital repertoire; common conservatory and youth-orchestra concerto-competition choice. The fastest way through it is to name the passage that keeps breaking, on the same five dimensions a panel listens for, and fix that one first.
The hard passages
- Thumb position passages and high-register intonation
- Even, rapid scalar runs in the Allegro molto finale
- Galant-style phrasing and ornamentation without over-romanticizing
- Clarity and lightness of articulation in classical figuration
- Negotiating the (usually Britten or written-out) cadenzas
What panels listen for
Pure intonation in thumb position, evenness of fast scales in the finale, stylish classical phrasing and ornaments, and a singing Adagio line.
Frequently asked
How hard is Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major, Hob. VIIb:1?
Advanced level. A standard student-to-professional audition concerto; introduces sustained thumb position and demands clean fast-scale technique in the finale (per Winston-Salem Symphony program notes and cello pedagogy sources). Relative to the Haydn D major, the C major is usually taught first.
What tempo is Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major, Hob. VIIb:1?
I. Moderato; II. Adagio; III. Allegro molto
What are the hardest parts of Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major, Hob. VIIb:1?
The passages that trip players up: Thumb position passages and high-register intonation, Even, rapid scalar runs in the Allegro molto finale, Galant-style phrasing and ornamentation without over-romanticizing, Clarity and lightness of articulation in classical figuration, Negotiating the (usually Britten or written-out) cadenzas.
How can I tell if I am ready to perform Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major, Hob. VIIb:1?
Talk it through with the teacher, free, no signup. Play your take of Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major, Hob. VIIb:1, get the one specific fix that is holding you back, then run it again. The teacher listens every day, not just at lesson time.
More cello pieces
Stuck on a passage in Cello Concerto?
Name the passage and what it does wrong. Real fix in 30 seconds. Free to try, no card.
Name the passage that breaks