Haydn. The Creation (Oratorium Die Schöpfung)

Haydn’s oratorio The Creation (Die Schöpfung) was composed in Vienna between 1796 and 1798, when the composer’s fame was already at its peak. The text of the oratorio is based on the Bible and John Milton’s epic Paradise Lost. The work is based on the creation story in the First Book of Moses: God creates the world in seven days – light, the heavens, the earth and water, animals and, finally, humankind. Milton’s texts extol the beauty of nature and divine harmony. The oratorio expresses the idealistic ideas and views of the Age of Enlightenment. Haydn has used the orchestra and choir, amongst other things, to imitate the sounds of nature and animals. The oratorio’s premiere in Vienna in 1798 was a great success, and the work quickly became hugely popular throughout Europe.