Joseph Haydn: The Creation / Die Schöpfung, Hob. XXI: 2, oratorio

Munich Philharmonic

Festival Ljubljana 2010

The Munich Philharmonic
Munich Philharmonic Choir (prepared by Andreas Herrmann)

Soloists: Luba Orgonasova, Christian Elsner, Reinhard Hagen
Conductor: Thomas Hengelbrock

“… I have never left the theatre so satisfied, and afterwards I dreamt about the creation of the world all night …”*

Haydn’s The Creation did not move only the enlightened and educated but also ‘mere mortals’, who were shaken by its tone painting of the creation of the world, animals and man, as well as the original couple Adam and Eve. Arias from the oratorio found their way peacefully into middle class households, while the audience was somewhat less peaceful, as at the first private performance in 1798 the crowd had to be subdued by mounted police.

Papa Haydn, who all of his life had striven for order in music, surpassed himself with the musically prophetic The Creation: not only had he created a monumental life work but he had also summarised and amalgamated the various musical orientations of the 18th century and with this synthesis laid the foundations for the romantic oratorio.

Thus this great work will represent a sufficiently great challenge for the celebrated soprano Luba Orgonasova, the tenor Christian Elsner, and the bass Reinhard Hagen, as well as for the renowned Munich Philharmonic Choir and Munich Philharmonic, and especially for Thomas Hengelbrock, as the opening sonic Representation of Chaos on the creation of the world is alone a tough nut to crack for any conductor.

*Josef Richter: Epeldauer-Briefen

Brigita Rovšek
Translation: Neville Hall