The Haydn Project. A performance process of the second cello concerto with a tape accompaniment

Abstract

To perform a solo concerto with an orchestra requires lots of knowledge not only about the solo voice but also about the accompaniment. Besides reading and listening we musicians learn by doing. Based on these thoughts I started to work on a piece in a new way. In this master project I explored new methods to work on Joseph Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 2 in D Major Hob.VIIb:2. The piece is written for solo cello and an orchestral accompaniment that consists of strings, oboes and horns. I arranged the accompaniment for a cello quartet, recorded the arrangement and performed the whole concerto as a soloist with the tape accompaniment. In the arrangement I applied the accompaniment for a new instrumentation and interpreted Haydn’s handwriting on articulation and dynamics. Playing a recording of the accompaniment made me to do decisions how I wanted the music to sound. Performing the piece with a tape accompaniment gave me unique experience as a performer.