"Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes" from Haydn: The Creation (Die Schöpfung) with Simon Rattle

Featuring

Benjamin Bruns
Christian Gerhaher
Lucy Crowe
Sir Simon Rattle
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks
Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks

Joseph Haydn

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Composition History

Baron van Swieten, Prefect of the Vienna Court Library and a passionate music patron, helped Haydn with the libretto and financing for The Creation.

Performer Biography

Sir Simon Rattle, the conductor, has held chief conductor positions with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, and London Symphony Orchestra.

Cultural Impact

The Creation's central role for the choir led to the flourishing of the amateur choir movement in the 19th century, making it a core repertoire piece.

Compositional Technique

Haydn's The Creation combines contrapuntal elements, Italian vocal melodies, and Viennese Classical homophonic instrumentation, while also making extensive use of 'tone painting' to illustrate natural phenomena.

Cultural Impact

The Creation's success was partly due to its Enlightenment-era spirit, which emphasized human dignity and the beauty of creation, rather than focusing on original sin.

Composer Biography

At 63, Joseph Haydn was one of the most famous and sought-after composers of his time, having achieved unprecedented success with his twelve London Symphonies.