The former composed a Violoncello Concerto, the latter several pieces of the same kind. What a lively interest Haydn, especially, took in the violoncello is proved by the fact that he used it as an obbligato in two of his Symphonies. The first of them (B flat major) appears with the title, “Symphonie Concertante à Violon, Violoncell, Flutte, Hautbois et Basson obligés,” as Op. 81; the other, called “le Midi,” was written in 1761.[82] Therein the violoncello is employed as a solo instrument, chiefly in the _Adagio_, the close of which ends with an elaborate cadenza for violin and violoncello. The cello part in the above-mentioned “Sinfonie Concertante” contains striking difficulties, especially where it is employed in the higher tones.[83] Amongst other composers of that period who composed Concertos for the violoncello, we will only mention PAUL WRANITZKY, IGNAZ PLEYEL, FRANZ ANTON HOFMEISTER, FRANZ CHRISTIAN NEUBAUER, LEOPOLD HOFFMANN, and JOHANN LUDWIG WILLING. There were also amateurs who attempted compositions of this kind, such as ERNST LUDWIG GERBER, the author of “The Historical-Biographical Dictionary of Musicians,” and CHRISTIAN FERD. DANIEL SCHUBART, who, though he had a musical education, was however really by vocation an author. Further Joh. Geog. Albrechtsberger, Joseph Eybler, F. A. Hoffmeister, C. G. Neubauer, Ignaz Pleyel produced Duets for two violoncellos, violin and cello, or for viola and violoncello. There is also in existence a Cello Sonata with unfigured Bass by the contrabassist Christian Spurni (Spourni), who, born in Mannheim, was, during the years 1763-1770, member of the orchestra of the Italian Opera in Paris, and then of Her Majesty’s in London.[84]