In this lesson excerpt from tonebase Cello, Santiago Cañon-Valencia explores one of the defining challenges of Haydn’s Concerto No. 1 in C Major: creating brilliance without losing elegance.
Santiago reminds us that musicality doesn’t mean disrupting the pulse. Think of it as the piece’s “heartbeat.” Within that steady flow, he demonstrates how to let character changes emerge naturally, alternating between lyrical phrasing and virtuosic sparkle.
His key advice? Find the bow’s balance point where it still connects with the string but bounces ever so slightly, giving each note clarity without rigidity.
It’s the same sense of touch a pianist uses for clean articulation...a combination of precision and grace that brings Haydn’s writing to life.
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