Beautiful and noble: Edgar Moreau on Haydn Cello Concerto in C

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When did you first come across Haydn Cello Concerto in C major? When did you first perform it?

Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C is a piece that many cellists work on very early in their studies. The first time I worked on the first movement with a teacher I must have been seven or eight, and the first time I played it with a professional orchestra was over ten years ago! So it’s a work that’s been with me almost as long as I can remember.

Do you have advice to cellists learning the work? What’s the trickiest section or technique for you in the piece, and how do you overcome it?

The third movement is a real challenge for any cellist. I like to play this movement with a lot of spirit, speed and direction, while respecting the bright side of Haydn’s writing, and it’s a challenge to be as virtuosic as possible without losing the elegance of this musical style.

What’s the best part about performing this work?

I also find the second movement very beautiful and noble. There’s a lot of appoggiatura work, which I did a few years ago when I recorded this concerto, and I think it adds a lot of charm and generosity to the musical discourse.

Tell us about the instrument you’re performing on with the New York Philharmonic in December

Since 2009, I’ve been playing a David Tecchler cello, made in Rome in 1711. I have a special relationship with this instrument because it belonged to my father, who sadly left us too soon, and this instrument is in a way an heritage that maintains that family connection!

Edgar Moreau will perform Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C major in his debut with the New York Philharmonic and Andrés Orozco-Estrada on 6-9 December at the Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall. Find out more here.

Moreau’s latest recording of cello concertos by Weinberg and Dutilleaux with the WDR Sinfonieorchester and conductor Andris Poga is out now on Warner Classics/Erato. Find out more here.

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