Violin Concerto in C major

It is quite possible that the Violin Concerto in C was written at about the same time, round 1765, as the “Philosopher” Symphony. It is more likely, however, that it dates fom 1761, when Haydn took up his post of Assistant Kapellmeister at Eisenstadt. We know for certain that it was written for Luigi Tomasini, leader of the orchestra there, and we can guess that the composer would have been quick to make a gesture like this to a colleague with whom he could expect to collaborate for a few years at least. In fact, they worked together for the rest of Haydn’s time in service to the Esterházy family.

Another reason for favouring the early date is the style and structure of the work itself - scored for strings only - which are as much Italian baroque as Austrian classical. In Mozart’s and Beethoven’s violin concertos, for example, there is scarcely any double-stopping in the solo part. In Haydn’s Concerto in C major the soloist makes three decisive entries with the main theme in two-part harmony, effectively separating solo episodes from tutti in the manner of the concerto grosso. Much of the decorative violin writing derives directly from the Vivaldi tradition. So does the beautiful serenade-like slow movement where, after a short introduction, an elaborate solo line floats effortlessly over a gentle pizzicato accompaniment. The final Presto adheres to much the same combination of sonata form and concerto grosso patterns as the opening Allegro moderato, substituting a quick triple-time dance metre for the march rhythm of the first movement to secure an appropriately cheerful and brilliant conclusion.