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- Haydn, Franz Joseph
Duration: 2 minutes
Description: Attending performances of Handel’s choral works while in England, Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809) decided to write his own large-scale oratorio. He began to work on DIE SCHÖPFUNG (THE CREATION), Hob.XXI: 2 in 1796, aided by a libretto by Gottfried van Swieten that incorporates various texts from Milton’s Paradise Lost, Genesis, and the Psalms. Throughout the work, Haydn depicts the events of creation with Handelian choruses and colorful word-painting. The first public performance took place at the old Burgtheater in Vienna on March 19, 1799. The Part I (No. 11) chorus, “Stimmt an die Saiten,” takes place near the conclusion of Part I, where the full chorus sings a jubilant hymn of praise calling upon all creation to celebrate the glory and wisdom of God. Instrumentation: 2.2.0.2+1(CBsn): 2.2.3.0: Timp: Str (4.4.3.3.3 in set): Mx Chor. Reprint edition.