Project Home Page

Timeline of cello concertos written by composers born before 1780
[All have been recorded unless otherwise indicated in italics]

Jacchini (1667-1727) Ten "concerti per camera [...] con violoncello obligato" Nine unrecorded 
Caldara (c.1670-1736) Cello concerto in D minor
Vivaldi (1678-1741) Twenty-seven cello concertos
Cervetto (c.1681-1783) Cello concerto in G Unrecorded 
Porpora (1686-1768) Cello concerto in G major
Perroni (1688-1748) Cello concerto in D minor (1712)
Boismortier (1689-1755) Cello concerto Op.26 No.6
Chelleri (1690-1757) Cello concerto (1742)
Vandini (1690-1778) Cello concerto in D
Berteau (1691-1771) Four cello concertos All unrecorded
Antoniotto (c.1692-c.1776) Three cellos concertos All unrecorded 
Tartini (1692-1770) Two cello concertos
G.Werner (1693-1766) Cello concerto Unrecorded
Reichenauer (c.1694-1730) Two cello concertos One unrecorded 
Leo (1694-1744) Six cello concertos (c.1737-8)
Molter (1696-1765) Cello concerto in C (1730s)
Zani (1696-1757) Twelve cello concertos
Majo (1697-1771) Cello concerto in F (1726)
Platti (1697-1763) Three cello concertos
G.B.Sammartini (1698-1775) Cello concerto in C
Hasse (1699-1783) Cello concerto in D
Caporale (c.1700-1746) Cello concerto (c.1741) (Unrecorded and probably lost)
Fiorenza (c.1700/1710-1764) Five cello concertos
Sabatino (1705-1796) Cello concerto in G
I.Mára (1709-1783) Unknown number of cello concertos One recorded, all others unrecorded
Porretti (1709-1783) Twenty-four cello concertos Twenty-three unrecorded
Hintereder (before 1710-c.1763/69) Cello concerto
Graziani (1710-1787) Two cello concertos
Gretsch (1710-1778) Five cello concertos All unrecorded 
F.Werner (1710-1768) Numerous cello concertos All unrecorded
Holzbauer (1711-1783) Cello concerto in A Unrecorded 
Zach (1713-1773) Cello concerto in E flat
Avondano (1714-1782) Cello concerto in G Unrecorded 
C.P.E.Bach (1714-1788) Three cello concertos (1750-3)
Wagenseil (1715-1777) Two cello concertos
Monn (1717-1750) Cello concerto in G minor (1746, ed. Schoenberg 1913)
Schindelar (c.1717-1764) Three cello concertos Two unrecorded 
Zellbell the younger (1719-1780) Cello concerto (1741)
Canavasso (1720-1775) Cello concerto Unrecorded
Grauel (1720-1799) Cello concerto in A
Hargrave (1720-1780) Five cello concertos All unrecorded 
Zyka (c.1720-1791) Several cello concertos All unrecorded
Garth (1721-1810) Six cello concertos (pub.1760)
C.Abel (1723-1787) Two cello concertos
J.Baumgartner (1723-1782) At least four cello concertos All unrecorded
Galeotti (1723-c.1790) Eleven, perhaps twelve cello concertos All unrecorded
C.E.Graf (1723-1804) Two cello concertos (one from 1777)
Cirri (1724-1808) Six cello concertos
Mysligowski (c.1725-1774) Three cello concertos from around 1780 All unrecorded
Anfossi (1727-1797) Cello concerto in G Unrecorded
F.H.Graf (1727-1795) Cello concerto in D (c.1780)
J.Hertel (1727-1789) Two cello concertos (1755-9)
Woschitka (1728-1796) Two cello concertos (c.1780) Both unrecorded 
I.Danzi (c.1730-1798) Cello concerto in G Unrecorded
Cupis de Renoussard (1732-1808) Cello concerto in D (Two concertos missing and a possible fourth concerto)
J.Haydn (1732-1809) Cello concertos: No.1 in C (1760s) No.2 in D (1783) No.3 (lost) No.4 (disputed)
Fils aka Filtz (1733-1760) Two cello concertos Both unrecorded 
Paxton (1734-1787) Cello concerto in G
J.C.Bach (1735-1782) Cello Concerto in C Minor (disputed: probably written by H.Casadesus in the 20th century)
Westenholtz (1736-1789) Cello concerto Unrecorded
Mysliveček (1737-1781) Cello concerto in C 
M.Haydn (1737-1806) Cello concerto in B flat (c.1800)
Schetky (1737-1824) Seven cello concertos (c.1772-1810) All unrecorded 
L.Hofmann (1738-1793) At least seven cello concertos Three unrecorded 
Dittersdorf (1739-1799) Cello concerto in D
Vanhal (1739-1813) Three cello concertos (1785-7)
Cupis de Camargo (le jeune) (1741-after 1794) Two cello concertos Both unrecorded
J-P.Duport (1741-1818) Cello concerto in E minor Unrecorded
Janson (1742-1803) Cello concerto in D (recorded); Twelve cello concertos Op.6 (1780) and Op.15 (1799) Probably all unrecorded 
Boccherini (1743-1805) Twelve cello concertos
J.Mára (1744-1808) Two cello concertos Both unrecorded
Borghi (1745-1806) Two cello concertos Both unrecorded 
Silva (1745-1803) Cello concerto in D Unrecorded 
Stamitz (1745-1801) Five (or possibly six) cello concertos One unrecorded 
Knöferle (1746-1811) Cello concerto in D (c.1790) Unrecorded 
Fiala (1748-1816) Two cello concertos
Hettisch (1748-1793) Several cello concertos All unrecorded
Jäger (1748-1826) An unknown number of cello concertos All unrecorded
J-L.Duport (1749-1819) Six cello concertos One unrecorded 
A.Kraft (1749-1820) Cello concerto in C (c.1792)
J.Malzat (1749-1787) Cello concerto in D Unrecorded 
Schlick (1749-1818) Two cello concertos Both unrecorded 
Karoušek (before 1750-1789) Cello concerto in D Unrecorded 
Kriegk (1750-1814) Three cello concertos All unrecorded 
Sperger (1750-1812) Cello concerto in C Unrecorded 
Tillière (c.1750-1790) Cello concerto (c.1775) Unrecorded
Tricklir (1750-1813) Thirteen cello concertos Nine unrecorded 
J.Reicha (1752-1795) At least eight cello concertos Four unrecorded
Bréval (1753-1823) Seven cello concertos All unrecorded 
Schindlöker (1753-1827) Cello concerto Unrecorded
Hoffmeister (1754-1812) Two cello concertos Both unrecorded 
Sieber (1754-1801) Cello concerto in A (c.1800) Unrecorded 
Capuzzi (1755-1818) Cello concerto in C Unrecorded
Viotti (1755-1824) Cello concerto in C
Willing (1755-1805) Cello concerto (c.1798) Unrecorded
Bittoni (1756-1829) Cello concerto Unrecorded
Wranitzky (1756-1808) Cello concerto in C
I.Malzat (1757-1804) Cello concerto in D Unrecorded 
Pleyel (1757-1831) Six cello concertos (one lost)
Schönebeck (1758-1806) Three cello concertos (1796, 1798 and 1802) All unrecorded
Wineberger (1758-1821) Three cello concertos (c.1797) All unrecorded 
Galeazzi (1758-1819) Cello concerto (1817) Unrecorded
Facius (1760-1806) Three cello concertos All unrecorded
Neubauer (c.1760-1795) Cello Concerto in B flat (1802)
Platone (1760-1827) Cello concerto in B flat Unrecorded
Zumsteeg (1760-1802) Ten cello concertos, Nine unrecorded
Vranický (1761-1820) Cello concerto in D minor
Reinagle (1762-1825) Six cello concertos All unrecorded 
F.Danzi (1763-1826) Three cello concertos Two unrecorded 
Ritter (1763-1846) Seven cello concertos All unrecorded 
Westerhoff (1763-1806) Cello concerto (1800) Unrecorded
Brunetti (1765-1834) Cello concerto
Ryba (1765-1815) Cello concerto in C (1800)
Sozzi (c.1765-c.1818) Cello concerto in C Unrecorded 
Hauschka (1766-1840) Three cello concertos All unrecorded 
Powell (1766-c.1842) Fifteen cello concertos All unrecorded
Romberg (1767-1841) Ten cello concertos (1795-c.1824) Five unrecorded 
Müntzberger (1769-1844) Five cello concertos All unrecorded
A.Reicha (1770-1836) Cello concerto (1803-1823) Unrecorded
Witt (1770-1836) Cello concerto in C Unrecorded 
Wilms (1772-1847) Two cello concertos (c.1812 and 1821) Both unrecorded 
J.Arnold (1773-1806) Five cello concertos All unrecorded 
Hemmerlein (1773-1840) Cello concerto (1801) Unrecorded
Hus-Desforges (1773-1838) Four cello concertos (No.4 c.1820) All unrecorded
Baudiot (1773-1849) Two cello concertos (1790 and 1791) Both unrecorded
Lindley (1776-1855) Four cello concertos All unrecorded
Platel (1777-1835) Five cello concertos (c.1810-1825) All unrecorded
N.Kraft (1778-1853) Six cello concertos (Nos.1-3 c.1812,1813 & 1819) Three unrecorded
Aimon (1779-1866) Cello concerto Unrecorded
Full dates unknown:
Falugi (18th century) Cello concerto in D Unrecorded
Hoeke Two cello concertos, one dating from 1799 Both unrecorded
Lanzetti (died c.1800) Five cello concertos, Four unrecorded
Maegolin (likely to have been born pre-1780) Cello concerto in B flat Unrecorded
Matern (d.1789) At least one cello concerto Unrecorded
Penna Cello concerto in E (? c.1758) Unrecorded
Priori (18th century) Cello concerto in C Unrecorded
Ungherini (18th century) Cello concerto in G Unrecorded
Vallotti Cello concerto (c.1790-1810) Unrecorded

This timeline shows that there were 138 composers of 438 cello concertos that can be counted (i.e. excluding those that are uncertain and composers who wrote an unknown number of concertos) born before 1780, of which 173 (39%) have been recorded and 265 are still unrecorded. Broadly it should include most cello concertos written before the end of the 18^th century that have survived, and the vast majority of them are likely to have been written within that century. It is striking that, of the composers listed here as known to have been born prior to Joseph Haydn (i.e. 1732), only about 30% wrote concertos that all remain unrecorded whereas around 65% of composers born later wrote only unrecorded concertos. Thus it seems clear that the genre has been well served by the recording industry for concertos written in the early part of the 18^th century but less so for those written later in that century.

Only those concertos written by Vivaldi, C.P.E. Bach, Joseph Haydn and Boccherini (and his 9^th concerto in particular) have been recorded frequently. Aside from those composers, the series of six concertos each written by Leo and Garth are well worth hearing, as is Monn’s original concerto in G minor. Of the later composers, I find Vanhal’s three and Pleyel’s five concertos to be among the most interesting. In terms of unrecorded music, the composer whose cello concertos I would most like to be able to hear is Bréval.

Recommendations

C.P.E. Bach The Naxos disc of all three concertos played by Tim Hugh is my personal choice from a crowded field.

Boccherini The Naxos series by Tim Hugh and Raphael Wallfisch with the latter’s disc of the last four concertos (including the famous 9^th) is an obvious place to start.

Garth The only complete set of the six concertos available is the one by Richard Tunnicliffe on Divine Art and it is excellent.

Joseph Haydn The recent live performances of both concertos by Natalie Clein would be a good choice if you can’t decide between Rostropovich and du Pré (and many, many other fine cellists).

Leo All six concertos are in another bargain box from Brilliant Classics with Julius Berger as soloist - he found the manuscripts in a library in Naples.

Monn His G minor concerto played by Adriano Maria Fazio on period instruments for Brilliant Classics stands out. Jacqueline du Pré’s performance on modern instruments sounds like a different piece!

Pleyel The set of all five by Péter Szabó for Hungaraton is highly recommendable.

Vanhal Not much choice here but Péter Szabó’s Hungaraton disc of his three concertos is fine.

Vivaldi The complete set of 27 concertos made by Francesco Galligioni for Brilliant Classics on period instruments is magnificent and at bargain price too.

Project Home Page