Joseph Haydn · Advanced · cello
How to play Cello Concerto No. 2 in D major, Hob. VIIb:2, Op. 101
Cello Concerto No. 2 in D major, Hob. VIIb:2, Op. 101 is in D major and sits at the advanced level. Standard advanced concerto audition and recital piece; frequent on conservatory and orchestral-audition concerto requirement lists. 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
- Sustained high thumb position and altissimo intonation
- Rapid, exposed passagework and string crossings
- Sustaining a long lyrical line in the A-major Adagio
- Classical-style bow distribution and clean articulation
- Stamina and poise across a long exposed solo part
What panels listen for
Secure high-position intonation, clean rapid passagework, refined classical phrasing, and a controlled cantabile in the slow movement.
Frequently asked
How hard is Cello Concerto No. 2 in D major, Hob. VIIb:2, Op. 101?
Advanced level. A core advanced/professional audition concerto, generally regarded as more virtuosic than the C major because of extensive high thumb-position work and rapid passagework (standard cello-repertoire rankings and conservatory lists).
What tempo is Cello Concerto No. 2 in D major, Hob. VIIb:2, Op. 101?
I. Allegro moderato; II. Adagio; III. Rondo. Allegro
What are the hardest parts of Cello Concerto No. 2 in D major, Hob. VIIb:2, Op. 101?
The passages that trip players up: Sustained high thumb position and altissimo intonation, Rapid, exposed passagework and string crossings, Sustaining a long lyrical line in the A-major Adagio, Classical-style bow distribution and clean articulation, Stamina and poise across a long exposed solo part.
How can I tell if I am ready to perform Cello Concerto No. 2 in D major, Hob. VIIb:2, Op. 101?
Talk it through with the teacher, free, no signup. Play your take of Cello Concerto No. 2 in D major, Hob. VIIb:2, Op. 101, 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