János Starker - Haydn: Cello Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 (2005)

Since its discovery in the National Museum of Prague and subsequent authentication in the early 1960s, the Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major has wasted no time endearing itself to both virtuosi and the public alike... Although they share the same fast-slow-fast movement structure, Haydn's cello concerti have two quite different personalities. The great Concerto in D Major remains one of Haydn's most lyrically expressive works. The cello is the nucleus and leader of the whole ensemble; the passagework for the solo instrument is bravura and ingenious; yet much of the concerto seems almost wistful in nature and more concerned with expression than flashiness. The C Major Concerto, on the other hand, is all smiles. Mr. Starker describes it as being "among the purest music Haydn ever wrote."

...made particularly special by Janos Starker's effortless, ebullient account of the cello concerto. It instantly rises to the rank of top contender on the best-recorded-performance list...a must-have. -- Christian Science Monitor

It's as if Haydn suddenly were reborn, a formidable giant emerging from the dark shadows of Mozart and Beethoven. Editor's Choice. -- CD Review

The thing that makes the Delos Haydn project special is the skill with which it is focused on the color and feeling in Haydn's music. It is an approach well calculated to shake the dust off the music of Haydn and let its sparkle come through. -- Washington Post