If you had any doubts that Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) was among the handful of the greatest composers the slow movement of his Violin Concerto #1 in C should erase them. The reading below by violinist Andras Agoston has a long cadenza near the movement’s end. The video of the entire concerto with Joshua Bell as both conductor and soloist has a more conventional conclusion to the slow movement. But nothing detracts from the exquisite beauty of the piece which is entirely based on one theme and which is almost a solo. For most of the movement the orchestral accompaniment is just plucked strings.  Inspired! That this work wasn’t even published until the middle of the 20th century beggars belief.

Haydn Violin Concerto in C Major 2nd movt Andras Agoston Budapest Hungarian State Opera