Divertimento

It is largely thanks to a fortunate discovery that Joseph Haydn’s brilliant Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major returned to the concert repertoire. Long believed to have been lost, the manuscript was rediscovered in 1961 in the library of the National Museum in Prague, nearly two centuries after it had been composed.

Written during Haydn’s years in the service of the Esterházy family, the concerto was dedicated to one of the era’s finest cellists and one of the composer’s close friends. Since its rediscovery, this dazzling virtuoso work has become an indispensable part of the cello repertoire and was cherished by such legendary artists as János Starker, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Jacqueline du Pré.

The soloist for this performance is Olívia Farkas, Principal Cellist of the MÁV Symphony Orchestra and the orchestra’s Artist of the Year 2024.

The programme concludes with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Divertimento in D major, K. 334, a work whose spring-like atmosphere and unfailing good humour never fail to delight its audience.