{"id":3082,"date":"2025-03-22T13:37:50","date_gmt":"2025-03-22T12:37:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.popularbeethoven.com\/?p=3082"},"modified":"2025-03-22T15:38:03","modified_gmt":"2025-03-22T14:38:03","slug":"let-there-be-light-haydns-creation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.popularbeethoven.com\/let-there-be-light-haydns-creation\/","title":{"rendered":"Let there be light: Haydn\u2019s Creation"},"content":{"rendered":"

On April 29, 1798, in Vienna\u2019s Schwarzenberg Palace<\/a>, a musical event unfolded that would echo through history: the premiere of Joseph Haydn\u2019s oratorio The Creation<\/em>. It marked the pinnacle of Haydn\u2019s illustrious career, a moment when the aging composer\u2014then 66 years old\u2014presented a work that blended sublime artistry with a celebration of the world\u2019s origins. The Viennese premiere was a triumph, a night filled with awe, emotion, and reverence for a man who had shaped the Classical era.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The<\/strong> Creation<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Creation (German: Die Sch\u00f6pfung) is a grand oratorio widely regarded as one of his masterpieces. Inspired by Handel\u2019s oratorios, the work sets a libretto by Gottfried van Swieten, based on biblical texts from Genesis, the Psalms, and John Milton\u2019s Paradise Lost.<\/p>\n

The oratorio depicts the creation of the world in three parts: the emergence of light, the earth, and its creatures; the creation of humanity; and a celebration of Adam and Eve in paradise. It features a large orchestra, chorus, and soloists (soprano, tenor, and bass), with vivid musical depictions like the famous “Chaos” introduction and the radiant C-major outburst of “Let there be light.” The Creation reflects Haydn\u2019s deep faith, his mastery of musical form, and his ability to blend drama, humor, and sublime beauty.<\/p>\n

A Composer at the Edge<\/strong><\/p>\n

By 1798, Joseph Haydn was no longer the vigorous man who had once churned out symphonies and operas for the Esterh\u00e1zy court. His health had begun to falter after years of relentless creativity and two exhausting trips to England in the early 1790s. Those journeys, while triumphant, had taken a toll. He returned to Vienna in 1795 inspired by Handel\u2019s grand oratorios, determined to create something monumental. The Creation<\/em> was the result, but its composition\u2014spanning 1796 to 1798\u2014pushed him to his physical limits. Haydn himself admitted the strain, writing in a letter years later that he often feared a stroke<\/em> during its performances due to the overwhelming emotions it stirred in him.<\/p>\n

At the time of the premiere, Haydn was frail but resolute. His energy was waning, and he suffered from what we might now recognize as exhaustion or perhaps early signs of the illness that would later confine him to his home. Yet, on that April evening, he insisted on conducting the open rehearsal himself, a testament to his dedication. Witnesses described him as visibly moved, his small, wiry frame trembling with both pride and fatigue as the music swelled.<\/p>\n

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Haydn\u2019s home in Vienna while composing The Creation (a museum today)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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A Gathering of Giants<\/strong><\/p>\n

The premiere wasn\u2019t open to the public\u2014it was a semi-private event for Vienna\u2019s aristocracy, held at the Schwarzenberg Palace before the official public debut the following year. The guest list was a who\u2019s who<\/em> of Viennese society and musical luminaries. Prince Schwarzenberg, who financed the work, hosted the evening, ensuring an audience of nobles and patrons who had supported Haydn\u2019s career. Among the musicians present were some of the era\u2019s brightest stars, including Antonio Salieri<\/a>, a respected composer and rival to Mozart, and Johann Nepomuk Hummel, a virtuoso pianist and former pupil of Mozart.<\/p>\n

But the most intriguing figure in the room was Ludwig van Beethoven, Haydn\u2019s former student. Their relationship had been rocky. Beethoven had studied with Haydn in the early 1790s but grew frustrated with what he saw as lax teaching<\/em>. Haydn, in turn, called him \u201cthat great Mogul,\u201d<\/em> a nod to Beethoven\u2019s stubborn independence. Despite this, Beethoven attended the premiere, drawn by the magnitude of the occasion and perhaps a lingering respect for his old master.<\/p>\n

The orchestra and chorus were substantial, reflecting the work\u2019s grandeur. Haydn had assembled a force of over 180 performers, including tripled winds, doubled brass, and a robust string section\u2014unusually large for the time. This was a spectacle designed to impress, and it did.<\/p>\n

The Reception<\/strong><\/p>\n

The oratorio\u2019s three parts, depicting the biblical creation story with vivid tone-painting\u2014chirping birds, roaring lions, and a radiant sunrise\u2014captivated listeners. Haydn\u2019s biographer Georg Griesinger reported that the composer was overwhelmed, confessing that his body alternated between \u201cice-cold\u201d chills and \u201cburning heat\u201d as the music unfolded perfectly. By the end, shouts of \u201cFather Haydn!\u201d filled the hall, a title reflecting both his age and his paternal role in Viennese music. For a city accustomed to Mozart\u2019s brilliance and Beethoven\u2019s emerging genius, this was a moment of admiration.<\/p>\n

A Complicated Bond<\/strong><\/p>\n

Beethoven\u2019s presence at the premiere adds a layer of intrigue. Before the event, he was mostly skeptical and critical. He had once declared, \u201cI never learned anything from Haydn,\u201d a jab at their tutelage. Yet, as The Creation<\/em> unfolded, something shifted. Accounts differ, but a persistent anecdote claims that Beethoven approached Haydn after the performance, knelt, and kissed his hand<\/a>. This gesture, if true, was extraordinary for the proud, rebellious Beethoven. It suggests a moment of reconciliation, an acknowledgment of Haydn\u2019s mastery even amidst their personal tensions.<\/p>\n

Afterward, he reportedly spoke little of it publicly, but his attendance and alleged gesture imply respect. Years later, a mature Beethoven softened, placing Haydn alongside Mozart and Bach as equals. The premiere may have been a turning point.<\/p>\n

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Old Burgtheater, site of the 1799 public premiere in Vienna<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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From Creation to Seasons<\/b><\/p>\n

Haydn followed The Creation<\/em> with another oratorio, The Seasons<\/em>, premiered in 1801. Inspired by James Thomson<\/a>\u2019s poem, it traces the cycle of spring, summer, autumn, and winter through rustic scenes\u2014a hunt, a thunderstorm, a harvest dance. While The Creation<\/em> gazes at the divine, The Seasons<\/em> celebrates the earthly. Its choruses, like the rollicking \u201cHunting Song\u201d with horn calls or the vivid storm in \u201cSummer,\u201d foreshadow Beethoven\u2019s Pastoral Symphony<\/em><\/a>, showing Haydn\u2019s influence on the next generation.<\/p>\n

After 1801, he wrote little, his energy sapped. His last public appearance came in 1808, at a performance of The Creation<\/em> honoring his 76th birthday, where he was carried in on an armchair amid cheers. He died in 1809, leaving a few minor pieces but no more grand statements.<\/p>\n

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You can watch and listen to The Creation here!<\/a><\/p>\n

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    On April 29, 1798, in Vienna\u2019s Schwarzenberg Palace, a musical event unfolded that would echo through history: the premiere of Joseph Haydn\u2019s oratorio The Creation. It marked the pinnacle of Haydn\u2019s illustrious career, a moment when the aging composer\u2014then 66 years old\u2014presented a work that blended sublime artistry with a celebration of the world\u2019s origins. The Viennese premiere was a … <\/p>\n

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