The Creation

“Here is the book, start at the beginning!” These are reputedly the words of a London acquaintance of Haydn as he handed the composer a Bible, having heard that the master was considering creating an oratorio and sought an appropriate libretto. Haydn did indeed start at the beginning. There are few greater challenges for a musician than the orchestral overture, the musical image of primeval chaos, since order is, after all, the essence of music. Haydn deals with the second day relatively quickly, he goes into the events of the third day in greater detail, the principal moment of the fourth day is the creation of the heavenly bodies, and this winds up the first part of the oratorio. Part two covers the events of the fifth and sixth days. The Creation of Man is proclaimed through the aria in C major, then chorus and soloists join forces in a paean of thanksgiving more dramatic than anything yet heard. However, Haydn’s Creation does not end on the seventh day; its closing movement reveals the bliss of Adam and Eve in Paradise. The work is a classic of music history and oratorio genre, guaranteeing the audience a monumental and simply unforgettable experience.