Listeners should not get too excited about the third work on this disc, the Cello Concerto in D major (Hob. VIIb.4); this is clearly not a composition by
Haydn. While the liner notes describe this concerto as a work of "unknown authorship," rejecting the attribution "to a certain
Constanzi,"
Haydn scholars rightly identify the composer as
Giovanni Battista Costanzi (1704-1778), virtuoso cellist and composer.
Constanzi's concerto is far from a thrilling work, and even
Capuçon's extraordinary playing does little to redeem this work. But
Capuçon's stupendous interpretation of the two
Haydn concerti hugely rewards the listener who may have struggled through the third work. Beautifully accompanied by the magnificent
Mahler Chamber Orchestra under the direction of
Daniel Harding, who transforms the orchestral score into a rich, nuanced sonic tapestry,
Capuçon plays the Cello Concerto in C major (composed in the early 1760s) with verve, charm, lightness of touch, and an impeccable sense of style. As a perfect vehicle for a cellist's technical prowess, this work has sometimes seduced players into neglecting the music itself and focusing on its dazzling surface. Others have played it as a late
Haydn, carelessly and anachronistically, introducing early Romantic pathos into this Rococo jewel.
Capuçon plays it perfectly: wearing his immense virtuosity lightly, he devotes his energies to revealing the exceptional beauty of this masterfully crafted work. In his interpretation of the Concerto in D major,
Capuçon picks a rather brisk tempo, cleverly avoiding the temptation to overemphasize the melodious lyricism of the first movement. Lacking the tremendous verve and formal excellence of the earlier work, the Concerto in D major greatly benefits from
Capuçon's uncanny ability to capture the music's inner movement and authentic spirit.