Cello Concerto No. 2 (Villa-Lobos)

The Cello Concerto No. 2, W516, was composed by Heitor Villa-Lobos in Rio de Janeiro in 1953. It was commissioned by the cellist Aldo Parisot, to whom the score is dedicated. A reduction for cello and piano was published in Paris by Max Eschig.^[1]

Cello Concerto
No. 2
by Heitor Villa-Lobos
Villa-Lobos, c. 1922
Catalogue	W516
Composed	1953
Dedication	Aldo Parisot
Performed	5 February 1955 (1955-02-05)
Movements	4

The concerto was first performed by Parisot with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Walter Hendl on 5 February 1955.^[2]

The orchestra calls for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, cor anglais, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (tam-tam, side drum, tambourine, suspended cymbal), celesta, harp, and strings. The work is in four movements:

1. Allegro non troppo
2. Molto andante cantabile
3. Scherzo: Vivace – Cadenza
4. Allegro energico