Haydn composed his Cello Concerto No. 2 in D Major while serving as Kapellmeister for the Hungarian prince Nikolaus Esterházy. With a wealthy and encouraging patron, the composer found himself free to innovate, and one of those innovations was the elevation of the cello from bowed continuo instrument to melodic soloist. With Antonín Kraft, a talented virtuoso on the cello, also in the Prince's employ, Haydn wrote a lyrical yet technically-challenging concerto that cellists continue to treasure.