HAYDN - The Creation

“The Creation” was composed by Franz Joseph Haydn in 1797 and 1798. In London, Haydn first heard performances of Handel’s Messiah and Israel in Egypt. He was so impressed by them that when he returned to Vienna, he started work on “The Creation”. With the collaboration of composer-librettist Gottfried von Swieten, he put together a text partly, based on the Bible and partly on Milton’s Paradise Lost. The oratorio, composed in three large parts, is presented through the narrative of three angels: Gabriel (Soprano), Uriel (Tenor) and Raphael (Bass). The Soprano and Bass also sings the roles of Adam and Eve. Together with the large chorus and orchestra, the creation story is dramatically and spectacularly portrayed.