During his visits to London between 1791 and 1795, Haydn found himself greatly inspired by the numerous performances of Handel’s works he attended. He was particularly moved by the grandeur of Messiah and Israel in Egypt which sparked his desire to create an oratorio of his own. Before Haydn returned to Vienna, violinist Johann Peter Salomon presented him with an anonymous English libretto which had supposedly been intended for Handel half a century earlier. The text – which draws from the Book of Genesis, John Milton’s epic Poem Paradise Lost (1667), and the Book of Psalms – resonated deeply with Haydn’s devout Catholic faith.
For Haydn, The Creation represented the pinnacle of his career. Much like Bach’s Mass in B Minor, it is a monumental work that simultaneously articulates his profound faith in God and his peerless craftsmanship. From the startling moment in which light is created, through playful word painting, to the romantic glow as the soloists transform from Archangels to the first humans, in The Creation we see Haydn finessing the full range of his artistry and ingenuity.
